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Is your mutual fund the right one for you?
Mutual Funds are considered to be one of the best investments one can get hands on. They're very flexible and cost-effective. An excellent investment for people with restricted knowledge, time or, money. For beginners, who might have a perplexed...
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Small-Cap Stocks: The Beginning Of The Journey
When an individual investor wants to roll up his sleeves and do some research in the pursuit of the next big winner in the stock market, the place many start is in the small cap sector. As with the other capitulation sizes (capitalization is a...
Stock Market Diversification
In one of my previous articles (Investing in the stock market -9 powerful tips), tip number one was:
1. Do not spread your money too thin.
My friend has a little over $200,000 invested in the stock market through 27 different Mutual funds....
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Top Investments and Stock Picks for 2006
If you read the headlines today you will hear everything from
recession, decline, slow start, etc... Everyone is commenting on
losses or very marginal gains. Yet there are some investors like
me that did really well in the last few years and are...
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A Roth IRA, Is It For You?
Roth IRA’s are some of the most sought after investments. But, why? What are they? Why should you invest in them? For many people, the investment world is somewhat of a mystery. We just do not know what it is all about. But, we can easily learn by taking the time to understand all the various aspects of investing. We can start here with learning about Roth IRA and how it can benefit you.
First, Roth IRA was named after the man who helped push through legislation for it. His name was William Roth. He was a United States Senator. He was known as a conservative and helped to pass other tax cuts as well in the 1980’s. But, we want to know about his specific contribution to the Roth IRA.
The Roth IRA is an individual retirement account. It is used throughout the United States. This plan is meant to help individuals save money for retirement by giving them tax advantages for doing so. But, there are a number of different retirement accounts. Some of these retirement plans can be set up by the employer while others are sponsored through the individual investor. In the Roth IRA, money is taxed before it is deposited into the account. But, it accumulates tax free on its earnings until you withdraw it at retirement. The money is then taxed. But, here are a few other individual retirement accounts that you should consider as well:
The traditional IRA is the most commonly thought of retirement account because it was one of the firsts. In this case, money is deposited without being taxed. The money accumulates through time and is still tax free on earnings. Then, when the money is later withdrawn at retirement, it is taxed.
A Rollover IRA is basically the same as the traditional. The only difference is that in the rollover, funds or money is moved from one type of retirement plan to the rollover. This would happen when one account is closed but money is not withdrawn but moved. For example, if you have an employer based retirement plan and leave one company for the next, the money would move into a
rollover account.
A Simple IRA is quite similar to a 401K. It is a simplified employee pension plan. In this case, you will have lower contribution limits and a simpler administration of the money.
Let’s get back to the Roth IRA in particular. In this type of retirement account, you get to contribute money that is “post tax” and earnings and withdrawals are then tax free. Another advantage of the Roth IRA is the fact that there are fewer penalties and restrictions on withdrawal than with the traditional IRA. Your limits, currently, on this IRA are based on age and the year:
In 2005, if you are under 49 years of age, your contributions are limited to $4,000 per year. Over 50 and you can invest up to $4500.
In 2006 and 2007, if you are under the age of 49, your contribution limit will be $4000, but if you are over 50, your limit will increase to $5000.
In 2008, limits change for both those age groups. Under age 49 will increase to $5000 while over age 50 will increase to $6000.
Anyone who is considering a Roth IRA for their retirement account is considering a very good quality investment account. It is wise, like with all other investments, to speak to a financial advisor to find the best course of action. They will help you to decide how much to put into the account. They will also help you to manage it. In a Roth IRA, there are a variety of options that you can invest in including stocks and mutual funds. It is important to consider the risk involved. It is also important to consider just where you need the money to be when you retire. A financial advisor can help you get to where you need to be without you having to worry about all the details.
All in all, a Roth IRA is an excellent choice. Its main benefits are its tax structure as well as its lower fees. You will see that they offer an excellent opportunity for almost anyone to invest for their retirement.
About the Author
Travis Lawrence
More Roth IRA information can be found at http://www.roth-ira.org
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