It’s tax season! Regardless of what your socioeconomic status is, you have to do your taxes. When everyone else is thinking of ways on avoiding taxes, you have the best option out there – IRA! The Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is a financial investment tool that helps save money for retirement with tax-free growth.
IRA is a part of the Social Security’s third pillar. Since its establishment in 1974 it has been involved in savings accounts with tax benefits for families in the U.S. The amount of income doesn’t matter too much, as long as they meet the conditions, then they can deposit the funds at a limit. However, IRA can be very complicated, and banks, insurance companies, and investment companies have different ways of handling it. Some companies even provide a 401K! So how exactly should you choose?
Which one is better for you? Traditional IRA or Roth IRA?
Traditional IRA and Roth IRA are two of the most common kinds of retirement accounts. Whether it is Traditional IRA or Roth IRA, those under 50 can save up to $5,500 and those 50 and older can save up to $6,500. Withdrawals are penalty free beginning at age 59 ½. What exactly is the difference between the two?
With the Traditional IRA, deductions are reflected in the taxes immediately. If you have an income of $50,000 and deposit $5,000 into the IRA, the tax return will reduce to $45,000. Distributions must begin at age 70 ½. Contributions to Traditional IRAs lower your taxable income in the contribution year.
One of the differences between the two is whether you are paying taxes first or paying taxes after.
If your tax rate is 20%, the estimated tax rate will lower to about 15%, and in this situation, paying taxes after with the Traditional IRA would be a good choice.
If you’re worried about having too many assets or too much money, then the tax rate will continue to grow, and in this situation, paying taxes first with the Roth IRA would be the better option. Since you don’t have to wait until 70 ½ to contribute, many people use it to transfer assets and leave the money to their future generations and avoid having to pay income tax.
Should you open an IRA at the bank, an insurance company, or an investment company?
Many people go to the bank to open an IRA. There may be an account bonus but the minimum is relatively high, some banks even charge a service fee.
When choosing to open an IRA through an investment company, proceeds follow along with the stock market changes so the risk is high because it is not possible to determine if the profit will be big or small.
Insurance companies are here to protect the capital and investment products, so if the stock market falls, the insurance company will help you keep track and you will gain more benefits!
Open an IRA before it’s too late!
Compared to Roth IRA, Traditional IRA is more popular in the Chinese community. You can save on tax returns immediately this year and earn more benefits. The deadline to file your taxes is April 18, so if you want to open an IRA account to save on taxes, take action now!
KCAL Insurance Agency is a professional broker that carries IRA products from A-rated insurance companies. Since it’s already 2017, you can deposit for 2016 and 2017. Open an account with us before March 31 and earn up to a 20% bonus! This means that if you open an account with $10,000, you can get a $2,000 bonus right away! Time is ticking, so act now!