SmartAsset and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. Transferring some of your retirement savings from a tax-deferred account like a 401(k) to a Roth IRA can help you reduce or possibly avoid required minimum distributions (RMDs) and income taxes later on. It can also be beneficial if you want to leave tax-free savings to your heirs. A Roth conversion can therefore provide you with some flexibility when tax planning your finances in retirement. However, you ...