By Dave Bern

An ideal way to save towards your retirement is through getting a Roth IRA (Individual Retirement Account) or a 401K Plan used by both large and small businesses. Once you have set up your IRA then you can start making payments into it. But there are certain items that you should be aware of.

Firstly how much a person is able to contribute depends on their age. Anyone under the age of 50 can contribute $4,000 while those over 50 are entitled to contribute $4,500. There are no limitations on the age at which people are able to contribute to their Roth IRA plan. But 401k contribution limits vary considerably from those offered to you with an IRA.

One thing to be aware of when making contributions to a Roth IRA is the restrictions on what your gross taxable earnings can be. An individual must earn less than $110,000 per year. For a married couple who file a joint return the gross income must not exceed $160,000. And for couples, who file their returns separately,their combined gross income must not be above $100,000.

If you are also contributing towards a traditional IRA then the amount you can contribute towards your Roth IRA will be reduced. If making contributions to both kinds of IRA's then these should not exceed the total amount allowed during any one financial year. Also with the Roth IRA your contributions will be reduced further should your income exceed a defined limit.

However there is another method you can use for contributing towards a Roth IRA known as the conversion method. This allows you to convert your traditional IRA over to Roth one. To do this you need to take the IRA out of one account and within 60 days of getting the funds immediately transfer it into your Roth IRA account. Although all Roth IRA contributions are taxable you should be aware that any withdrawals or distribution of the funds are not.

You are not restricted to when you can make contributions to an IRA. But you must make sure that these contributions are made before you file your tax return even if you have been provided with an extension. Because IRA contributions are not tax deductible these should not be listed on a tax return.

Carrying out some research and you will soon see how important a Roth IRA can be to you having a more stable financial retirement because they are tax free when distributed. As part of your retirement planning one should be considering the importance of taking out a Roth IRA.

Above we have given some details relating to making IRA contributions. It is also a good idea to discuss the issue with your financial adviser or accountant as they may be able to recommend an IRA that they feel a suitable investment for you. Which should then help to make sure that your retirement is a much happier one in the future.

About the Author:

0 comments