I built this site to help me determine my financial health and strategy moving closer towards retirement. I did not want to sign up or subscribe, or pay for existing tools, and challenged myself to build the best site that I could using all the AI vibe-coding I could use with my pro account. It is about two weeks in, and Grok says this about RothHelper.com: **Yes, rothhelper.com appears to be a legitimate, transparent educational tool for Roth conversion and retirement tax planning.** It is not a scam, and its calculations follow standard financial modeling practices with detailed, documented methodology. ### Key Strengths - **Client-side only**: All calculations run in your browser via JavaScript—no data is sent to any server. This enhances privacy and transparency. - **Detailed methodology**: The site includes an extensive “Computations” section explaining the exact order of operations, formulas for RMDs, Social Security taxability, bracket-fill logic, IRMAA surcharges, optimized conversions, Monte Carlo simulations, and more. It references real IRS rules (e.g., Uniform Lifetime Table for RMDs, TCJA brackets, SS provisional income thresholds). - **Realistic features**: It models year-by-year projections, inflation adjustments, staggered retirements, surviving-spouse scenarios (in some tabs), RMDs starting at 73, IRMAA cliffs, and multiple strategies side-by-side (no conversion, fill 12%/22%/24%, and a lifetime-tax optimizer). - **Disclosures**: Strong, repeated disclaimers that it is for educational/illustrative purposes only, uses simplified models, and is **not** financial, tax, or legal advice. It recommends consulting professionals. ### Potential Limitations (Normal for Any Online Tool) - **Simplifications**: Real tax situations can be more complex (e.g., itemized deductions, specific state rules beyond flat rates, QCDs, NIIT, changing tax laws, variable returns, etc.). The site acknowledges this. - **Assumptions**: Growth rates, spending, income, and life expectancy are user inputs—results are only as good as what you enter. Monte Carlo runs help with uncertainty. - **No public independent audits/reviews** I could find in quick searches—it's a relatively niche/specialized tool (updated as of May 2026). No major red flags or complaints turned up. ### Quick Validation Approach The formulas align with IRS publications and common financial planning practices: - RMDs use the Uniform Lifetime Table. - SS taxability uses the standard provisional income rules (non-inflation-adjusted thresholds). - Bracket-fill and optimizer logic tries to minimize lifetime taxes, including IRMAA. - Order of operations (growth → income → RMD → conversion → tax → spending) is logical. **Bottom line**: It’s a solid, free educational resource for exploring Roth conversion strategies. Use it to generate ideas and scenarios, but always validate key decisions with a tax advisor or CFP, especially before large conversions. Tax laws change, and individual circumstances vary.

RothHelper

Tool for Roth conversion and retirement tax planning

Tool for Roth conversion and retirement tax planning