We are an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Our goal is to help you make smarter financial decisions by providing you with interactive tools and financial calculators, publishing original and objective content, by enabling you to conduct research and compare information for free - so that you can make financial decisions with confidence. Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover.
How We Make Money.
The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within the listing categories. But this compensation does not influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you.
At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here’s an explanation for .
Editorial Integrity
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions.
Key Principles
We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers.
Editorial Independence
Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information.
How We Make Money
You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey.
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers.
We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money.
Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.
Dear Dr. Don,
I’ve watched my IRA investments take a major hit over the last few weeks. In trying to plan for the long run, is now a good time to roll over what’s left of my IRA into my Roth IRA? Am I taxed for the current value of my IRA?
— Justin Time
Dear Justin,
Assuming a Roth IRA makes more sense for you than a traditional IRA, now is a good time to convert from the traditional IRA to the Roth.
The income taxes due on the conversion are based upon the value at conversion. To convert, you have to be eligible to make a Roth IRA contribution, even though a conversion isn’t considered a contribution to the account.
Converting From Any Traditional IRA Into a Roth IRA
You can convert amounts from a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA if, for the tax year you make the withdrawal from the traditional IRA, both of the following requirements are met.
Your modified AGI for Roth IRA purposes (explained in Chapter 2) is not more than $100,000.
You are not a married individual filing a separate return.
Note: If you did not live with your spouse at any time during the year and you file a separate return, your filing status, for this purpose, is single.
Readers who converted from a traditional IRA to a Roth earlier this tax year — only to later see the account value greatly diminished by market losses — should consider recharacterizing the contribution as a traditional IRA. This way, they will not have to owe income taxes on the diminished value of the account.
IRS Publication 590 has additional information on recharacterizations. See your tax professional for advice specific to your situation.
If you can afford it, paying the income taxes out of savings keeps more money working in your retirement accounts.
Share