Roth IRA vs traditional IRA | Comparing IRAs | Fidelity (2024)

FAQs

Roth IRA vs traditional IRA | Comparing IRAs | Fidelity? ›

Note that with a Roth IRA, you're able to withdraw contributions you've made at any time, for any reason, with no taxes or penalty. With a traditional IRA, contributions can be made on an after-tax basis, or a pre-tax (tax-deductible) basis if certain requirements are met.

To come out even in terms of after-tax savings, you have to be disciplined enough to invest the traditional IRA tax savings you get every year back into your retirement savings. If that seems unlikely to happen, then you'd be better off saving in a Roth, where you'll arrive at retirement with more after-tax savings.

You're never too old to fund a Roth IRA. The earlier you start a Roth IRA, the longer you have to save and take advantage of compound interest. Even when you're close to retirement or already in retirement, opening this special retirement savings vehicle can still make sense under some circ*mstances.

Roth IRA and traditional IRA: Key differences

Traditional IRAs offer the potential for tax deductibility in the present, while Roth IRAs are made with after-tax dollars (meaning there is no benefit in the here-and-now).

The best funds to hold in your Roth IRA vs your other accounts are the most aggressive ones you'll hold in your portfolio because the growth on those will never be taxed. While you should consider holding more conservative assets like cash and CDs in your overall portfolio, they should not live in your Roth IRA.

To make an educated choice between traditional and Roth deferrals, you want to consider your current tax situation and your anticipated situation in retirement. In general, you want to choose traditional deferrals if you expect your tax rate to decrease in retirement and Roth deferrals if you expect it to increase.

It may be appropriate to contribute to both a traditional and a Roth IRA—if you can. Doing so will give you taxable and tax-free withdrawal options in retirement. Financial planners call this tax diversification, and it's generally a smart strategy when you're unsure what your tax picture will look like in retirement.

One disadvantage of the Roth IRA is that you can't contribute to one if you make too much money. The limits are based on your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) and tax filing status.

For tax year 2024, single and head-of-household filers with MAGIs of $146,000 to $161,000 can contribute only limited amounts. The income phaseout range for married couples filing jointly is $230,000 to $240,000. Taxpayers with incomes above those top numbers cannot contribute anything to a Roth IRA.

This rule for Roth IRA distributions stipulates that five years must pass after the tax year of your first Roth IRA contribution before you can withdraw the earnings from the account tax-free. Keep in mind that the five-year clock begins ticking on Jan. 1 of the year you made your first contribution to the account.

Why would someone invest in a Roth IRA instead of a traditional IRA? ›

With traditional IRAs, you delay paying any taxes until you withdraw funds from your account later in retirement. With Roth IRAs, however, you pay taxes upfront by contributing after-tax dollars and later in retirement your withdrawals are tax-free (as long as your account has been open for at least five years).

Since a Roth conversion increases taxable income in the conversion year, drawbacks can include a higher tax bracket, more taxes on Social Security benefits, higher Medicare premiums, and lower college financial aid.

Traditional IRA contributions are deductible from taxes and your account grows tax-deferred. You pay taxes when you withdraw your funds in retirement. Roth IRA contributions are not deductible but your account grows tax free and you pay no taxes when you withdraw your funds in retirement.

With a Roth IRA, you contribute after-tax dollars, your money grows tax-free, and you can generally make tax- and penalty-free withdrawals after age 59½. With a Traditional IRA, you contribute pre- or after-tax dollars, your money grows tax-deferred, and withdrawals are taxed as current income after age 59½.

Overall, converting to a Roth IRA might give you greater flexibility in managing RMDs and potentially cut your tax bill in retirement, but be sure to consult a qualified tax advisor and financial planner before making the move, and work with a tax advisor each year if you choose to put into action a multiyear ...

There are several approaches you can take. A traditional approach is to withdraw first from taxable accounts, then tax-deferred accounts, and finally Roth accounts where withdrawals are tax free. The goal is to allow tax-deferred assets the opportunity to grow over more time.

Overall, converting to a Roth IRA might give you greater flexibility in managing RMDs and potentially cut your tax bill in retirement, but be sure to consult a qualified tax advisor and financial planner before making the move, and work with a tax advisor each year if you choose to put into action a multiyear ...

IRAs are another way to save for retirement while reducing your taxable income. Depending on your income, you may be able to deduct any IRA contributions on your tax return. Like a 401(k) or 403(b), monies in IRAs will grow tax deferred—and you won't pay income tax until you take it out.

In general, Roth contributions have an edge over traditional contributions for young people. Having tax-free distributions in retirement is great, especially if taxes go up in the future. Since younger investors have a longer time horizon, the impact of compounding growth benefits even more.