retiredjg wrote: ↑Fri Mar 26, 2021 4:37 pm
Seems to me if the $1k in growth is not taxed, it does not matter where the growth happened. Maybe I'm missing something.
There's no reason to let it grow in the Traditional IRA before converting. You're just throwing away the basis.
Scenario 1: deposit $6,000 in traditional IRA. Wait until it's worth $7,000, the convert. You have $7,000 in your Roth, no taxes owed, and no basis in your traditional.
Scenario 2: deposit $6,000 in traditional IRA. Convert immediately. Wait until it's worth $7,000. You have $7,000 in your Roth, no taxes owed, and $1,000 basis in your traditional.
Why would you ever choose 1 over 2?