Originally Posted by Wasatch Phantom

Bar,

I'm a HUGE fan of Roth accounts and I'm pretty aggressive about doing Roth conversions, including utilizing this methodology:
The Serial Backdoor Roth, A Tax-Free Retirement Kitty - Forbes

I recently learned that the DAL shares we received as a result of the DAL/NWA merger are eligible for conversion.

Probably the best deal out of the fiscal cliff legislation is a change to the law which liberalizes the rules on what accounts can be converted. The details, as far as Delta and the various 401K plans, haven't been worked out but I would expect Delta to make the necessary plan changes to permit employees to take advantage of this.

While I am frequently critical of ALPA, I do think they have a good handle on this and will push DAL to do the right thing.

With our massive ever-increasing national debt, I personally just can't see tax rates coming down in the future. I'd rather take the tax hit up front, let the money grow tax free, and withdraw it tax free.