The potential tax savings of Roth conversions possess an irresistible appeal to many clients, which means both advisors and clients might be eager to take advantage of them.

The problem, says DeFrancesco, is that these conversions aren’ t always appropriate, and that’ s led to some irreversible mistakes.

That’ s what prompted him to create an exam and credential that would test real expertise rather than surface-level knowledge.

What he came up with was the Certified Roth Conversion Specialist( CRCS) designation, which he developed with his financial education company, the Wealth Preservation Institute. According to DeFrancesco, the designation, which was unveiled in January, is the only one in the industry dedicated exclusively to Roth conversion planning, with a specific emphasis on math, multi-year tax modeling and client results, rather than tax reduction alone.

DeFrancesco says the consequences of poor Roth conversion advice differ materially from other planning mistakes. Unlike asset allocation or cash-flow planning errors that often can be adjusted, Roth conversions are permanent once executed.

“ When you give bad Roth conversion advice and the client converts $ 50,000, $ 100,000, $ 500,000, whatever, you can’ t undo it,” he says.

A core problem, he says, is that most advisors oversimplify the analysis— as does most planning software. Many tools rely on a single assumed future tax bracket when effective modeling means looking at other variables year by year.

“ There are over 30 different variables that you need to run the numbers,” DeFrancesco says. These include capital gains, required minimum distributions, income-related Medicare surcharges, and changes in income sources over time. Without those, outcomes can be skewed when the retirement horizon spans decades.

The deeper issue, he says, is that many advisors design Roth strategies to minimize taxes, required minimum distributions, or the Medicare income-related monthly adjustment amounts( also known as“ IRMAA”) without evaluating whether those reductions actually lead to more wealth.

“ You can actually save clients taxes, RMDs and IRMAA and get a bad outcome,” he says.“ The goal of Roth conversion planning isn’ t to reduce taxes, IRMAA and RMDs. It’ s always the same. It’ s to have more money.”

The Roth conversion specialist exam is designed to test that philosophy. The 130-question test includes roughly 20 true-false questions and 110 multiple-choice questions covering rules such as the five-year and 10-year rules, as well as forward-looking issues like effective versus marginal tax rates and IRMAA thresholds.

In addition, candidates must complete four practical case studies, looking at a hypothetical 35-year-old, 50-year-old and 58-year-old, as well as an IRA millionaire.

Notably, the designation has launched without a required course or reading material. Advisors may prepare however they choose— their optional reading could even include DeFrancesco’ s own book on the topic, though no official curriculum has been offered initially.

He hopes to gain course accreditation through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies in the long term.

— Jennifer Lea Reed

Pa. Court Slams The Door On Noncompetes, Backs Breakaway Advisors

Continued from page 7 napkin” projections— not confidential data.

Those gaps proved critical. The court further noted that FNB struggled to show losses that could not be calculated or remedied through damages. Its own in-house counsel acknowledged the firm could track assets under management and revenue tied to departing clients.

That admission undercut the firm’ s argument that it faced“ unascertainable and non-compensable loss,” the opinion said.

The decision highlights the growing resistance of courts to enforce noncompete clauses against departing financial advisors without clear evidence that they solicited business or misused confidential client information.

It also underscores the weight courts continue to place on client choice. Without evidence of misconduct, judges remain reluctant to interfere with a client’ s decision to follow an advisor to a new firm.

— Tracey Longo

8 | FINANCIAL ADVISOR MAGAZINE | MARCH / APRIL 2026 WWW. FA-MAG. COM