Roth IRA Calculator (2024)

FAQs

How do I figure out how much I should contribute to a Roth IRA? ›

Roth IRA contributions are made on an after-tax basis.

The maximum total annual contribution for all your IRAs combined is: Tax Year 2023 - $6,500 if you're under age 50 / $7,500 if you're age 50 or older. Tax Year 2024 - $7,000 if you're under age 50 / $8,000 if you're age 50 or older.

If you contribute 5,000 dollars per year to a Roth IRA and earn an average annual return of 10 percent, your account balance will be worth a figure in the region of 250,000 dollars after 20 years.

Let's say you open a Roth IRA and contribute the maximum amount each year. If the base contribution limit remains at $7,000 per year, you'd amass over $100,000 (assuming a 8.77% annual growth rate) after 10 years. After 30 years, you would accumulate over $900,000.

Rely on the math

Assuming an annual January contribution to your Roth IRA of $6,500 and an 8% average long-term investment return, you can expect to become an IRA millionaire in just under 34 years.

Under current law, most couples can contribute up to $13,000 ($6,500 each) to their IRAs in 2023, as long as their combined compensation is at least $13,000 for the year in which contributions are made. This means that the spouse with lower or no compensation can contribute $6,500 to a retirement plan for 2023.

So to answer the question, we believe having one to one-and-a-half times your income saved for retirement by age 35 is a reasonable target. By age 50, you would be considered on track if you have three-and-a-half to six times your preretirement gross income saved.

If you're 25, you should aim to max out your IRA every year. For 2024, a 25-year-old can contribute up to $7,000 to an IRA. It might seem unnecessary to save for retirement at such a young age, but giving your money time to grow is one of the best things you can do for your future self.

Opening or converting to a Roth in your 50s or 60s can be a good choice when: Your income is too high to contribute to a Roth through normal channels. You want to avoid RMDs. You want to leave tax-free money to your heirs.

Summary. If your annual spending amounts to $20,000, $100k will last you for five years. How much you need to retire depends on a number of factors, including retirement age, intended lifestyle, other income sources, and expected expenditures.

In many cases, a Roth IRA can be a better choice than a 401(k) retirement plan, as it offers more investment options and greater tax benefits. It may be especially useful if you think you'll be in a higher tax bracket later on.

Does Roth IRA have a 5 year rule? ›

This rule for Roth IRA distributions stipulates that five years must pass after the tax year of your first Roth IRA contribution before you can withdraw the earnings in the account tax-free. Keep in mind that the five-year clock begins ticking on Jan. 1 of the year you made your first contribution to the account.

The Roth IRA five-year rule states that you can't withdraw earnings tax-free unless it's been five years or more since you first contributed to a Roth IRA. But that restriction doesn't apply to all the money in your Roth IRA.

I know you're shocked to be reading that the tax code is being exploited by some gazillionaire to avoid paying their fair share. But let's look at how a Roth IRA has turned into the go-to vehicle for sheltering billionaires' billions in appreciation.

Historically, the stock market has an average annual rate of return between 10–12%. So if your $1 million is invested in good growth stock mutual funds, that means you could potentially live off of $100,000 to $120,000 each year without ever touching your one-million-dollar goose. But let's be even more conservative.

You might come across various guidelines when researching how much you should have saved for your retirement in your 30s. Two popular ones are: About ½ to 1 ½ times your income by age 30. 1 to 2 times your income by age 35.

Once you can get into the habit of investing 15% of every paycheck to your Roth 401(k) early on, you won't even miss the money you're paying in taxes.

Savings by age 30: the equivalent of your annual salary saved; if you earn $55,000 per year, by your 30th birthday you should have $55,000 saved. Savings by age 40: three times your income. Savings by age 50: six times your income.