Roth IRAs can be an excellent tool for retirement savings in certain situations. A Roth IRA has the unique feature of tax-deferred growth and income tax-free distributions.
If an individual’s modified AGI is over $124,000, their Roth IRA contribution limits are reduced. For those filling jointly, the modified AGI limits are $206,000 and reduced contributions at $196,000.
If your income limits meet the eligibility requirements, there are contribution limits for the year. Those that are eligible to contribute are capped at contributions of $6,000 per year ($7,000 if you are over age 50) in 2020.
The three main eroding factors of any retirement account are taxes, volatility, and account/management fees. Therefore, the Roth IRA eliminates the eroding factor of taxes, provided that the Roth IRA owner is at least 59 ½ years of age AND has held the account for a minimum of 5 years.
Your Roth IRA is funded with after-tax dollars. With a traditional IRA, you receive a tax deduction in the year you contribute and kick the tax bill down the road until later in life.
A potential drawback is that many Roth IRA accounts are usually tied to stock market investments, which can be volatile and risky. These investments can include high fees that may erode a large portion of earnings.
Imagine you open a Roth IRA at age 25 with $1,000, and you contribute $6,000 per year until age 59. Now we will pretend you earned 5% per year for those 34 years. This would give you an account value of $515,655.13 at age 59.