How do you use a Roth conversion calculator in a client meeting?

TL;DR. Run the calculator live during the meeting with the client's actual numbers — current age, IRA balance, tax bracket, expected Social Security claiming age, Medicare year. Show two scenarios side-by-side: no conversion versus staged conversion through age 72. The calculator's value isn't the output — it's the conversation it generates about bracket management, IRMAA, and estate impact. AdvisorCal's Roth Conversion advisor tool is built for this live-meeting use.

The live-meeting workflow

A Roth conversion conversation goes poorly when the advisor brings a pre-built spreadsheet and explains the result. It goes well when the advisor and client build the scenario together on screen.

Open the calculator. Enter current age, current taxable income, pre-tax IRA balance, expected retirement age, expected Social Security claim age. Set the target conversion amount. Show the five-year projection. Adjust the conversion amount up and down and let the client watch the tax bracket and IRMAA tier change in real time.

The point is that the client feels the tradeoffs instead of being told about them.

The two scenarios to compare

Scenario A — No conversion. The IRA grows tax-deferred. RMDs begin at age 75 (SECURE 2.0). The client pays ordinary income tax on RMDs for life, potentially in higher brackets than today. Heirs inherit under the 10-year rule if non-spouse.

Scenario B — Staged conversion. Convert a targeted amount each year from early-retirement age through age 74, staying within a specified tax bracket (typically 22% or 24%) and under IRMAA thresholds where relevant. Pay conversion tax from taxable (non-IRA) funds. Watch RMD exposure shrink or vanish.

Side-by-side, the client sees total lifetime tax, ending Roth balance, ending taxable balance, and estate-at-death. That comparison is what moves a decision.

The variables the calculator has to handle

• 2026 IRS brackets (updated each year)
• SECURE 2.0 RMD age 75 for those born 1960 or later
• IRMAA two-year look-back and 2026 thresholds ($106,000 single / $212,000 MFJ Tier 1)
• OBBBA standard deduction ($15,750 single for 2026)
• State tax (or an explicit "state tax not modeled" disclosure)
• Social Security taxation on provisional income
• Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) at $200,000/$250,000 thresholds
• Pay-conversion-tax-from-IRA versus pay-from-taxable toggle

A calculator that skips any of these understates the complexity and may recommend a conversion amount that triggers surprise IRMAA or NIIT.

What the client leaves with

A branded PDF summarizing the scenario the advisor and client built. The PDF shows the conversion schedule, the year-by-year tax impact, the IRMAA impact in the relevant Medicare years, and the estate result. AdvisorCal's Roth Done Right advisor tool produces this PDF automatically from the meeting inputs.

Key facts

• RMD start age (SECURE 2.0): 75 for those born 1960 or later; 73 for those born 1951–1959.
• 2026 IRS brackets: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, 37%.
• 2026 standard deduction (single): $15,750 (OBBBA, signed July 4, 2025).
• 2026 IRMAA Tier 1 (single): MAGI > $106,000.
• NIIT threshold: $200,000 single, $250,000 MFJ — applies an additional 3.8% on net investment income above the threshold.
• Conversion deadline: December 31 of the conversion year (no recharacterization since TCJA).
• AdvisorCal Roth tools: Roth Conversion Calculator (lead-capture), Backdoor Roth Calculator (lead-capture), Roth Done Right (advisor-facing), Backdoor Roth Advisor.

Common follow-ups

Should the client always pay the conversion tax from outside the IRA? Usually yes. Paying from inside the IRA means the withdrawal amount is itself taxed (and subject to 10% penalty if under 59½). The calculator should show both options.

Does the calculator handle spousal scenarios? AdvisorCal's tool models the client as a filer (single or MFJ); for genuinely separate spousal scenarios, advisors run two separate plans.

What happens if tax rates change? The calculator uses 2026 law as the baseline. The TCJA-era brackets are permanent under current law after 2025's extension. Future legislative changes are, by definition, speculative — the advisor should note this in the meeting.

Is the PDF compliance-reviewed? The PDF template is neutral; the specific compliance disclosures are set in the advisor's AdvisorCal account and attached to every report automatically.

When this doesn't apply

A client with no taxable dollars to pay conversion tax, or one with very short life expectancy and no legacy goal, usually shouldn't convert. The calculator's output will make this obvious, but the advisor should flag it before running scenarios.

Sources

• IRS — Roth IRAs
• IRS — SECURE 2.0 Act summary
• SSA — IRMAA thresholds

Try AdvisorCal

AdvisorCal's Roth Conversion calculator and Roth Done Right advisor tool ship together in the AdvisorCal subscription. Start a 14-day free trial — no credit card.

AdvisorCal provides software tools, not investment, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional for decisions specific to your client or personal situation.