Today we're going to dive into the situation of a listener named Jennifer, who has a very

specific set of circumstances that will require a bit of careful and strategic planning.

The reason for that is Jennifer's 54, and she wants to retire within the next few years.

The challenge she's up against is that while she's in her peak earning years and wants to

contribute to pre-tax accounts, her husband is 70, and he's already retired, and he's on Social

Security. On top of that, he has some pretty serious health concerns. So Jennifer, her main

concern, beyond, of course, her husband's health concern, is that she may spend a significant

part of her retirement single, which would put her into a higher tax bracket. So what should

she do today?

Should she contribute to Roth accounts?

Should she do Roth conversions?

Should she retire early to expedite that process?

All of that and more is coming up on today's episode of Ready for Retirement.

This is another episode of Ready for Retirement.

I'm your host, James Cannell, and I'm here to teach you how to get the most of life with your money. And now, on to the episode.

Let's jump right in by going over Jennifer's question. Here's the question that Jennifer submitted. Hi, James, I love your show. I'm 54 years old and I'm hoping to retire by 60. My husband is 70, retired, and has several major health

problems. He's also already on Social Security. I have $2 million in a traditional 403B,

$200,000 in a traditional IRA, $50,000 in a Roth IRA, and $50,000 in a 457B. We have been

living on about $13,000 per month, which is my take-home pay plus his social

security. Because of my husband's age and health status, it is likely that I will spend a

significant number of years single after he passes. This will put me into a much higher tax bracket.

My 403B plan does not allow implant Roth conversions, so the only thing I can convert before I

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