Maxing Your 401(k)? The Backdoor Roth, the Mega Backdoor, and the Old IRA Trap

Align Your Retirement · Nov 10, 2026 · 10m · transcript

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If you already max out your 401(k), can you still do a backdoor Roth? Yes. Your 401(k) limit and your IRA limit are separate. The harder question is the order, and whether an old rollover IRA from a past job will make most of the backdoor taxable.

In this episode, I walk through Lauren, 54, a vice president who has maxed her 401(k) for years and was just told she should be doing a backdoor Roth. I lay out the five places her next dollar can go, which ones stack, and the one trap that catches people who changed jobs.

In this episode:

The five places your next retirement dollar…