5 year clock on conversion for over 70 y o

user17725563563 — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:54:19 GMT

My financial advisor told me that converting from a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA will start a new 5-year clock on each conversion and the earnings will be taxable if I withdraw prior to the 5-years. However, I want to clarify whether that's actually true in my situation.

I opened my Roth IRA in 2021 and I am over 60 years old, so the age is not an issue. I plan to do two Roth conversions — splitting amounts from my Traditional IRA into my existing Roth IRA in 2026 and 2027 — but I am concerned about whether I'll have to wait 5 years before I can access the earnings from those conversions.

Is my advisor correct that each conversion restarts a 5-year clock, or does my existing Roth IRA (opened in 2021) satisfy the requirement so that earnings from the conversions are immediately accessible?

Re: 5 year clock on conversion for over 70 y o

Opus 17 — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 18:19:14 GMT

If you are over age 59-1/2, you can ignore the clock on conversions. The only tax for withdrawing a conversion early is the 10% penalty for early withdrawal, and that penalty does not apply if you are over age 59-1/2.

topic 5 year clock on conversion for over 70 y o in Retirement tax questions

5 year clock on conversion for over 70 y o

Re: 5 year clock on conversion for over 70 y o