Welch Financial Planning, LLC

Roth conversions used to be simple math. Not anymore.

When Tron got into this industry 20 years ago, he could calculate a Roth conversion in his head. Today, with the One Big Beautiful Bill provisions layered on top of everything else, it takes a lot more than mental math.

We are seeing people convert at what they believe is the 12% tax bracket, only to find out the real number is much higher once you factor in Social Security taxation, capital gains stacking, the enhanced senior deduction, ACA premium impacts, the expanded SALT deduction, and passive income from real estate.

This is exactly the kind of calculation we walk through with clients every November and December. If you want help thinking through yours, we are happy to sit down and go over it with you.

62 or 70? Here is how to think about when to actually start Social Security, and why there is no single right answer.

A widow asked me this in a recent class, and it is a question every retiree should understand. Losing a spouse can quietly push you into a higher tax bracket. Here is why.

Highly appreciated stock is a great problem to have — until you try to diversify without a massive tax bill. Here are 4 strategies that can help.

Social Security could be cut by 20% in just 7 years. Do you know how that affects your retirement?

Your HR department means well — but for high earners, contributing to the Roth 401(k) at the wrong time can actually work against you. If you are paying 32% tax today to avoid 22% tax in retirement, the math simply does not add up. The right answer depends on your Social Security timing, your pension, and your current versus future tax bracket. We help our clients work through exactly this.

The economy feels worse than the data says it is. There is actually a name for that — a vibecession.
Affordability fatigue is real. Years of elevated prices on housing, groceries, and insurance that never fully went away — even after inflation cooled — have left a lot of people exhausted rather than panicking. And doom scrolling is not helping.
The data does not always match how we feel. But how we feel should not be what drives your financial decisions.

Roth conversions are one of the most powerful tools in financial planning. But done wrong, they push you into a higher tax bracket and wipe out the benefit. Here is the mistake most people are making — and how to fix it.

The Roth five-year rule is not as scary as it sounds. Your principal always comes out tax free — the penalty only applies to earnings, and there are several ways around it. Here is what you actually need to know.