Every Roth Conversion Has a Ceiling

How much should you convert to a Roth? Bobby Hapanowicz explains the four ceilings that set your Roth conversion limit: your future RMD-era tax bracket, the IRMAA Medicare surcharge, the capital gains stack, and who inherits your IRA. Miss one and a 12% bracket conversion can cost 27 cents on the dollar. ▶️ WATCH NEXT 👇 A Real Retirement Tax Plan, Start to Finish SUBSCRIBE TO SEASONS OF WEALTH ON YOUTUBE @hapanowicz-financial 🤔 ABOUT THIS VIDEO In this video, Bobby Hapanowicz walks through the "how much" question for Roth conversions in the tax trough, the low-income years between your last paycheck and your first required minimum distribution. You'll see why filling the 12% bracket can push $50,000 of long-term capital gains out of the 0% band and into the 15% band, how the IRMAA Medicare surcharge uses a two-year lookback so a 2026 conversion shows up on a 2028 Medicare statement, and why those thresholds are cliffs, not brackets. He covers how a conversion can also increase the taxable portion of Social Security and phase out deductions, and why the beneficiary line on your IRA belongs in the math: high-earning kids, charities, and qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) each change the answer. Then he lays out the four-check routine and the three-item packet you need to find your own conversion ceiling. 📖 Chapter Timestamps 0:00 Why a 12% bracket Roth conversion can cost 27 cents on the dollar 0:38 Four ceilings that set your Roth conversion limit 1:30 Ceiling 1: your tax bracket today vs. your RMD-era bracket 2:45 Ceiling 2: the IRMAA Medicare surcharge and the two-year lookback 4:11 Ceiling 3: the capital gains stack (0% band vs. 15%) 6:33 Social Security taxation and deductions that phase out 7:03 Ceiling 4: who inherits your IRA 7:25 Case 1: kids in higher tax brackets 7:45 Case 2: a charity inherits the IRA 8:11 Case 3: qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) after 70 1/2 8:51 The four-check routine for finding your conversion number 9:59 The three-item packet: tax returns, income sources, statements 10:37 The bracket table was never your real tax rate 11:07 Case study preview: $4.8M run two ways (watch next) ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ABOUT HAPANOWICZ FINANCIAL Bobby Hapanowicz helps pre-retirees within a few years of their last paycheck — typically with $2M–$10M in investable assets — navigate Social Security timing, Roth conversions, RMDs, and retirement tax planning. Hapanowicz Financial is based in Pittsburgh and serves clients nationally. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ⚠️ DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not individualized investment, tax, or legal advice. Investment advisory services are offered through Hapanowicz & Associates Financial Services, Inc., an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation. #HapanowiczFinancial #SeasonsOfWealth #BobbyHapanowicz