Roth IRA: What It Is and How to Open One

A Roth IRA is a type of tax-advantaged individual retirement account to which you can contribute after-tax dollars toward retirement.

Unlike a traditional IRA, the contributions are not tax-deductible, but once you start withdrawing funds, the money you take out is tax-free.

Roth IRAs are best if you expect your marginal tax rate will be higher in retirement than it is right now.

In a traditional IRA, cryptocurrency can generate distributions that get taxed a short-term ordinary income.

With Roth IRAs, if the holding rules are followed, any earnings can be distributed tax-free.

In a Roth IRA, you can hold assets that aren’t typically part of a retirement portfolio in such self-directed IRAs.

Some IRA providers have an expansive list of investment options.

For individuals working for an employer, compensation that is eligible to fund a Roth IRA includes wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, and other amounts paid to the individual for the services that they perform.

Money related to divorce can also be contributed if it is related to taxable alimony received from a divorce settlement executed prior to Dec. 31, 2018 .