# I would do differently now

**URL:** <https://discourse.thelastforum.com/t/i-would-do-differently-now/110863>\
**Category:** Money\
**Created:** [November 14, 2026, 7:10pm UTC](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/t/i-would-do-differently-now/110863 "2026-11-14T19:10:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BridgeMaven](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/cdc98d/32.png) [@BridgeMaven](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/u/BridgeMaven)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2026, 7:10pm UTC](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/t/i-would-do-differently-now/110863/1 "2026-11-14T19:10:58Z")

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When I was working, I thought it was better to do traditional IRAs because it would lower my taxes at the time now that I am paying a fortune in taxes for the RMD’s. I have to withdraw now. I think I would’ve been a better off having Roth IRA I’m not I’m not having all that income to pay on RMD‘s now

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**Author:** ![mcarley](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/user_avatar/discourse.thelastforum.com/mcarley/32/5644_2.png) [@mcarley](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/u/mcarley)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2026, 7:20pm UTC](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/t/i-would-do-differently-now/110863/2 "2026-11-14T19:20:28Z")

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But would you have qualified for Roths? When you and your husband were both working, you might have been over the income limit.

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**Author:** ![jimtoo](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/user_avatar/discourse.thelastforum.com/jimtoo/32/16415_2.png) [@jimtoo](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/u/jimtoo)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2026, 8:26pm UTC](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/t/i-would-do-differently-now/110863/3 "2026-11-14T20:26:50Z")

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Like mcarley points out, you likely were never able to establish a Roth. I only qualified for a Roth in the last year that I worked. By the time that the rules changed to allow converting IRAs to Roths, we were in our 60s and the tax savings would have been minimal. I encourage anyone 50-55 or younger to look seriously into converting their traditional IRAs. Done early enough, it can make a big tax difference later.

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**Author:** ![Payless](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/user_avatar/discourse.thelastforum.com/payless/32/17422_2.png) [@Payless](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/u/Payless)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2026, 9:00pm UTC](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/t/i-would-do-differently-now/110863/4 "2026-11-14T21:00:05Z")

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Clark Howard over the years, often times will preach Roth, Roth,Roth.

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**Author:** ![kcflyer](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/user_avatar/discourse.thelastforum.com/kcflyer/32/5299_2.png) [@kcflyer](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/u/kcflyer)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2026, 10:28pm UTC](https://discourse.thelastforum.com/t/i-would-do-differently-now/110863/5 "2026-11-14T22:28:16Z")

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> [@Payless](#):
>
> Clark Howard over the years, often times will preach Roth, Roth,Roth.

Sometimes it makes sense…sometimes it doesn’t. I live a comfortable but frugal retirement and I am in the lowest tax bracket that I’ve been in since I was working. If I had a Roth, I would have paid tax at a much higher rate that I do today. Even an RMD isn’t going to push me into that high of a tax bracket.