- What is an IRA?
- What's the difference between Roth and traditional IRAs?
- Why is an IRA a good deal?
- Who can put money into an IRA?
- How much should I put into an IRA?
- When can I access money in my IRA?
- When are IRA withdrawals penalty-free?
- When do I have to start taking the money out of an IRA?
- What if I need the money in my IRA before retirement?
- How should I invest the money?
- How do my IRA withdrawals get taxed in retirement?
- Where should I open an IRA?
- Should I take money from my IRA to pay off debt
IRA stands for Individual Retirement Account, and it's basically a savings account with big tax breaks, making it an ideal way to sock away cash for your retirement. A lot of people mistakenly think an IRA itself is an investment - but it's just the basket in which you keep stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other assets.
Unlike 401(k)s, which are accounts provided by your company, the most common types of IRAs are accounts that you open on your own. Others can be opened by self-employed individuals and small business owners. There are several different types of IRAs, includingtraditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs.
Unfortunately, not everyone gets to take advantage of them. Each has eligibility restrictions based on your income or employment status. And all have caps on how much you can contribute each year and penalties in most cases for yanking out money before the designated retirement age.
