Aug 25, 2026, 9:15 AMRetirement Planning
At 84 and 77, Couple With $8 Million Weighs Roth Conversions and $160,000 Adviser Fee
An 84-year-old and his 77-year-old wife, with $8 million saved, weigh Roth conversions while rejecting a 2% adviser fee worth roughly $160,000 a year.
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Summary
A MarketWatch item published Aug. 25, 2026, features an 84-year-old reader and his 77-year-old wife, who have saved $8 million and are questioning whether age makes Roth conversions unsuitable.
The couple is reluctant to pay a financial adviser 2% of assets, which they calculate at roughly $160,000 annually. Only the feed summary was available, so the proposed conversion size, tax implications, adviser services and MarketWatch’s response were not disclosed.
Positives
- The couple has accumulated $8 million in savings, providing substantial assets for the retirement and tax-planning decision described.
- Roth conversions remain under consideration rather than being dismissed solely because the reader is 84.
- The reader quantified the proposed 2% advisory charge at roughly $160,000 annually, making the cost trade-off explicit.
Risks & concerns
- A 2% assets-based advisory fee would consume roughly $160,000 each year on the stated $8 million portfolio.
- The reader is 84 and his wife is 77, making advanced age central to the unresolved Roth-conversion question.
- The limited feed omits conversion amounts, tax implications, adviser services and MarketWatch’s answer, preventing a fuller assessment.
Primary sourceMarketWatch.com - Top Storieshttps://www.marketwatch.com/story/am-i-too-old-for-roth-conversions-im-84-and-my-wife-is-77-we-have-8-million-saved-fb08fccd?mod=mw_rss_topstories
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