Roth Conversion Secrets

The 5 Biggest Mistakes Ira Millionaires Make…and Seven Questions to Determine if You’re Leaving a Fortune at the Doorstep of the IRS

By: Craig Wear

Narrated by: Craig Wear, CFP®

The subject of converting your IRA savings into Roth IRAs seems to be very controversial—and it shouldn't be. The established paradigms about when to convert and how much to convert are almost as useless as the popular opinions about which tax bracket one should convert into. And these false beliefs lead to several mistakes when doing Roth conversions.

After nearly four decades as a financial advisor, and more than 13 years of specializing in Roth conversions, the author wants to reveal the biggest mistakes that are made and offer specific education to help the reader determine if they would benefit from conversions. The book is as much a "how to" guide as it is a collection of real life stories that illustrate the power of getting Roth conversions "right".

©2022 Craig Wear, CFP® (P)2022 Craig Wear, CFP®

Benifit

Old data used in presentations. Need to update. Great to use examples. Getting me motivated.

Benefits of conversion.

I gained a vast amount of information about the taxation ramifications and/or benefits of IRA conversions.

Is converting your IRA into a Roth for you?

Excellent advice regarding Roth conversions for different case scenarios. Why, when and how you can do it and how this impacts your future tax burden.

Solid information

I really liked how the topic was explained and motivated me to act sooner than later.

Written before AI - outdated in as of 2026

Takeaway: I learned useful concepts, but the delivery and outdated assumptions held the book back.

While the book offers solid explanations of Roth conversions, I found myself distracted by the presentation and tone. The audio version includes noticeable home‑construction noise in the background, which makes it feel more like a casual recording session than a polished publication.

More importantly, the author repeatedly criticizes “Do‑It‑Yourselfers,” framing anyone who manages their own retirement planning as naïve spreadsheet hobbyists. That mindset might have made sense in 2020–2022, but today’s reality is different. Modern AI planning tools allow individuals to model tax scenarios, run projections, and validate strategies with far more power than a simple spreadsheet. Yes, human oversight still matters, but dismissing self‑planners outright feels outdated and unnecessarily condescending.

In short: useful content, but wrapped in a tone that doesn’t respect how capable and well‑equipped today’s DIY planners can be.