Note: Some of these promotions won’t apply for first-time depositors, due to IRA contribution limits of $7,000 in 2024 ($8,000 if 50 or older). We’ve included promotions with low deposit requirements where available.
Do I qualify for a Roth IRA?
The Roth IRA has income rules for contributions. For 2024, your ability to contribute begins phasing out at $146,000 for single filers and $230,000 for those married filing jointly. The contribution limit is slowly reduced until your ability to contribute is eliminated completely. If your income is above these amounts, our Roth IRA calculator will tell you how much you can contribute.
With a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA, the contribution limit is a shared limit — you can contribute a total of up to $7,000 ($8,000 if you're 50 or older) in 2024. It’s up to you to decide how you want to divvy that up between the two.
Is a Roth IRA a good fit for me?
Roth IRAs tend to be best for retirement investors who would prefer to pay taxes now rather than in retirement —that generally means you think your current tax rate is lower than you expect your tax rate to be in retirement. Roth IRAs also offer flexibility — you can withdraw your contributions at any time, without penalty, which means a Roth can act as a backup emergency fund.
Of course, it can be really hard to know what your future tax rate will be, especially if retirement is decades away, so it can make sense to contribute both to a 401(k) or traditional IRA, and to a Roth IRA, if you qualify.
No matter what, if you have a 401(k) or other workplace retirement plan, contribute enough to get the match — that’s free money you don’t want to pass up.
Can I switch Roth IRAs?
Yes, you can transfer money from one Roth IRA account to another. The key is to do a direct transfer, where your account balance is moved directly from the old Roth IRA provider to the new one, without the money ever entering your hands (or bank account). Roth IRA providers are familiar with this process. The transfer must be completed within 60 days.
Can I contribute to a Roth IRA if I already have a 401(k) or a traditional IRA?
Yes. You can have both a Roth IRA and a 401(k) and contribute the maximum you’re allowed to each.
How do I open a Roth IRA?
The process is easy as can be: You can open a Roth IRA at any online broker or robo-advisor, typically online in about 15 minutes. You’ll need to provide some personal information like your name, address, birthday, Social Security number and means of funding the account, so have that handy. Here’s our step-by-step guide to opening a Roth IRA, including details about how to fund and invest the account.
How easily can I access money in my Roth IRA?
With a Roth IRA, you can pull your contributions out at any time — remember, you’ve already paid taxes on that money.
However, if you withdraw your investment earnings, you may owe income tax and/or a 10% penalty, depending on how old you are and how long you’ve owned the account. But there are quite a few situations where an early withdrawal of investment earnings is exempt from penalties and income tax. We detail the Roth IRA withdrawal rules here.
How do I invest my Roth IRA?
Once you’ve put money into the account, you need to select investments; otherwise, your money will sit in cash, which isn’t ideal for a long-term goal like retirement. Most Roth IRA providers offer a wide range of investment options, including individual stocks, bonds and mutual funds.
If that sounds out of your league, you can open your Roth IRA at a robo-advisor — like one of the providers mentioned above under the heading Best Roth IRAs for hands-off investors. Robo-advisors will manage your investments for you for a small fee.
How much do Roth IRAs earn?
How much you earn in a Roth IRA account will vary, depending on what you’re investing in. The average annual stock market return historically has been about 10%.
Of course, you want to invest in a diversified portfolio of both stocks and bonds, so that your account has a buffer from the stock market’s inevitable ups and downs. Generally, creating a diversified investment portfolio means investing in a handful of mutual funds or exchange-traded funds, which, in turn, invest in a broad swath of stocks and bonds.
A diversified investment portfolio will inevitably earn less than the stock market’s return, because bond yields tend to be in the single digits. Still, a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds generally earns more than any bank savings product, such as a savings account or CD.
What's the best bank for a Roth IRA?
Our roundup of the best Roth IRAs focuses on accounts offered by brokers and robo-advisors — not banks. Generally, a broker or robo-advisor is a better option than a bank for a Roth IRA account. That’s because, for a long-term goal like retirement, you want to harness the power of the stock market to help your account get bigger.
Bank Roth IRAs generally offer access to savings products, such as certificates of deposit. CDs are savings vehicles that guarantee a rate of return as long as you leave your money in for a specific period of time. Historically, stock market returns average about much higher than CD returns.
Of course, those higher stock market returns come with the risk that, in any given year, your account may lose value. But investors who leave their money in the market, even through those down days, historically enjoy hefty average gains over time.
If, despite the much lower rate of return, you decide to go with a bank for your Roth IRA account, be sure to pick among the accounts with the best IRA CD rates so you know you’re getting the best possible rate of return for that type of account.
