Estimated tax tip savings: By using a smart roll-forward, roll-backward strategy—from traditional IRA to Roth IRA and back—you can save thousands or even tens of thousands in taxes depending on the amount of your IRA holdings.

Your traditional IRA is like a tax time bomb waiting to explode: you’ll have to pay major taxes on your original contributions once you start cashing in your holdings.

Your best strategy for defusing this tax bomb is to act now. Start reducing your future tax bill by paying early—now—when you are in a wonderful year for extra tax.

That phrase might sound weird—“a wonderful year for extra tax”—but these do exist. Think of years in which you can absorb extra taxable income without increasing the actual taxes you have to pay, such as years when ... Log in to view full article.