There are many pros and cons that a person must mull over before considering a roth ira conversion.  Do some research on what will happen to retirement funds if you convert from a traditional to a roth ira before proceeding.  The basic difference is with respect to when your money is taxed.  Traditional IRA is taxed when money is withdrawn and roth ira before it is invested.  Since 2010, the US government allows roth ira conversion from a traditional IRA without any limits on yearly income levels.

The main benefit of traditional to roth ira conversion is that you have tax-free distributions with no requirement for the funds to be withdrawn at a specific age.  Those who expect to retire in a higher tax bracket will benefit from this conversion since they can withdraw the roth ira funds tax-free.  Secondly, since there is no age limit when the funds have to be withdrawn, a person who has other savings can retain the roth ira funds and bequeath it to a spouse or child.  The main demerit of the conversion is if a person expects to retire in a lower tax-bracket for then the benefits gained through the conversion will be greatly diminished.