Your 2026 Roth Crossroads: How to Choose the Right Path Before the Year Gets Away From You

Most people know what a Roth IRA is.
Far fewer know which Roth move actually makes sense for them — especially when income limits, backdoor rules, Medicare surcharges, and tax brackets all collide.

For Tampa Bay families who’ve built real savings, Roth planning isn’t about “doing a Roth.”
It’s about choosing the right Roth strategy at the right time.

If you’re looking at your 2026 retirement plan, you’re likely facing one (or more) of these questions:

• Should I be contributing to a Roth or a Traditional account?
• Am I over the Roth income limits — and if so, does a Backdoor Roth make sense?
• Should I convert some of my IRA before RMDs and Medicare surcharges hit?

These aren’t theoretical questions.
They directly affect how much of your money you’ll get to keep over your lifetime — and how much control you’ll have over your retirement paycheck.

The challenge is that Roth decisions don’t live in isolation.
They stack on top of your:
• Income
• Tax brackets
• Social Security timing
• IRA balances
• Medicare premiums
• Estate goals

That’s why guessing — or using a one-size-fits-all rule — can be costly.

A smarter way to decide

Instead of starting with products or account types, the better approach is to start with a simple question:

What is my long-term tax picture likely to look like?

From there, the right path usually becomes clearer:
• Some households should lean Roth
• Some should use Traditional deductions
• Others need a Backdoor Roth
• Many benefit from a thoughtful blend

That’s exactly why we created the 2026 Roth Decision Guide — to give you a clear, step-by-step way to sort through those choices.

Inside the guide, you’ll find:
• A simple Roth vs. Traditional decision flow
• Checklists for each strategy
• A one-page Roth planner
• Templates to document your moves