Let us do a quick summary of what an IRA is. The Individual Retirement Plan is an investment option that gives participants tax breaks on the money that they invest. There are many types of IRAs – the most common ones being Roth and traditional IRAs. The biggest draw of an IRA is that you get tax exemption on the money that you deposit, so apart from building a secure income for your golden years, you are also managing your present income in a most productive manner.
Where Does The IRA Contribution Go?
The IRA contributions can go into a variety of sectors – from stocks to bonds and mutual funds and more. IRAs promise you good returns over time because they can be diversified and long maturity periods always offer a higher probability of larger benefits.
Brandon Mink of MinkWealth.com explains than an IRA allows you to save money by postponing tax liabilities. When you withdraw your traditional IRA savings, it will be treated as regular income and will be taxed. However, you do not come under the ambit of capital gains taxes as your savings appreciate year over year. The Roth IRAs, on the other hand, allows you a total tax break when you withdraw your final savings but not immediately.
When you choose the options for your IRA, always keep in mind that you need to beat inflation to make earnings. The higher risk areas include index funds, mutual funds, and equities. IRA money goes into a variety of securities which are offered by a long list of entities. These could corporations owned by the government (public institutions), different types of partnerships (general, LPs and LLPs), and limited liability companies.
Stocks are considered a good choice for IRAs. The historical data points at returns between 8% and 12% while the American inflation rate over the last decade has not crossed 5% and that was due to the bleak economic phase in 2008. However, you are recommended to keep your IRA investments diverse.
Experts recommend that your IRA includes some investments in bonds. Some investments do not qualify for IRAs however – some examples include personal real estate, life insurance, and collectibles.
Things To Keep In Mind
The sooner you open an IRA, the better it is. Here are some of the factors that will determine the amount you will have when the maturity period ends. Your starting balance and your annual contribution provides the base on which calculations are made. The maximum annual contribution is currently capped at $6,000 by the IRS.
Those above 70 years of age can contribute up to $7000. How old are you? – the more pre-retirement years you have in hand relates to more contributions and a longer period of maturation. What is the age of retirement? This can also increase or decrease the number of years your IRA takes to mature.
The prerequisites for setting up an IRA are quite simple. You can be a self-employed individual or an employer and you can also set up IRAs for your employees.
Reading the economic trends
There are quite a few tools and graphs that non-experts can use or read to predict how the long-term economy is behaving. Yield curves offer very valuable insights. They are focused on the interest rates for short-term and long-term bonds but the graphs can predict macroeconomic activity or slowdowns beyond the world of bonds.
Many financial experts like to choose their stocks and other investments based on investor confidence in the bond market. Do not be alarmed when the graphs point at rough seas for the economy – it can be an opportunity to pick up cheap stocks. Some of the wealthiest investors in the USA used their capital wisely during the darkest recessions.
Live the post-retirement life that you dream of
Post-retirement security is very important – that is common knowledge. Unfortunately, many individuals and families are unable to act early enough to ensure that they have a comfortable income to live their golden years in peace and comfort. This is the age when you can pursue those things that you did not have time to attend when you were busy building your career and raising a family.
This is also the phase in life when your income stream narrows down. That is why you need to start acting on it while you have the energy and resources to work hard. Be ready to make a few compromises today so that tomorrow is uncompromised. The IRA savings will be your ticket to the post-retirement lifestyle that you dream of. Consider making it a part of your financial plans.