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Friday, January 1, 2010

How to Decide What Is The Best Roth IRA For You

By Bill Timmer

Weighing your retirement options is an important process, and looking into the best Roth IRA opportunities is crucial to this process. Well-thought out choices are vital to making your retirement funds work for you.

A retirement fund in which the money you put in is post-tax rather than pre-tax is called a Roth individual retirement account. Unlike a traditional individual retirement account, you have already paid your income taxes on the money that you put into a Roth. However, you do not have to pay taxes a second time upon retirement. Do you think that you will be earning more money than you are now when you reach retirement age, and will therefore be in a higher tax bracket? If so, a Roth IRA might be the ideal option for you. Keep in mind there are no immediate advantages to the Roth as there are with the Traditional IRA, meaning that the tax advantages will happen when you retire, not now. If you can afford this, it may be worth the wait.

If you decide to go for the Roth IRA, then you must remember that there are Roth IRA limits to be aware of. Most importantly, there is the income limit. If you earn more than $105,000 as a single filer, you may be ineligible a complete investment in the Roth. This figure may change depending upon inflation and IRS regulations. Another limitation is that earnings distributions cannot be made without penalty before age 59 , and they must be held in the Roth IRA for at least five years. Otherwise, if you choose to take funds out earlier, there is a ten percent penalty for early withdrawal. In addition, there is a contribution limit for the Roth IRA. The limits for the individual retirement account may change on a yearly basis, but the current limit is $5,000 per year. You must also keep in mind that if you have contributed to a Traditional IRA, then that does count toward your $5,000 maximum. That is, if you have put $2000 in a Traditional IRA then you may only contribute $3000 to your Roth for that year.

If a Roth, individual retirement account, sounds like something you are eligible for and would like to consider, and then you also have the option of a Roth Ira rollover. This is where funds, which are currently in a traditional retirement account, are switched over to a Roth. This is a potential windfall for you, due to tax advantages upon retirement and the potential for a tax-free source of income for you or your heirs.

Yet it is important to remember that you will need to pay taxes on the retirement funds that you are rolling over, which could potentially create a real financial burden for you in your current economic situation. Please note that another consideration is that beginning in 2010, the adjusted gross income limits, which are currently in place for rolling over to a Roth, will no longer apply, though it will be best to consult the Internal Revenue Service and also review your options with your financial advisor or tax accountant.

You also may not be aware that the IRS will be permitting you to spread out tax payments on conversions in the year 2010 to both 2011 and 2012. The IRS is going to be easing conversions and this may be relevant to you.

The best Roth IRA decisions are those based on a careful assessment of your needs and opportunities. Do not let the opportunities pass you by-instead, stay informed of IRS guidelines so that you can make wise choices. - 23167

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