WHAT IS A TRADITIONAL IRA?
With a traditional Investment Retirement Account (IRA) you pay taxes when you take the money out at retirement in the future. Make sure that this account is really worth opening in your situation because what you put in the account today may be fully deductible, partially deductible or non deductible, depending upon your income and other retirement coverage. If you contributions are not fully deductible then this account is probably not for you. The traditional (and Roth IRAs) allow you to save $3,000.00 in 2004 and $4,000.00 in 2005. If you are over 50 years old you can save an additional $500.00 as catch-up.
You put the maximum amount in if you (or your spouse) are not covered at any time during the tax year by a retirement plan, including a 401(k) account, at work. If you can't afford to save the maximum then just do the best that you can.If you are single or a head-of-household taxpayer with annual adjusted gross income (AGI) between $40,000 and $50,000 and are eligible for a company retirement plan, your deduction will be reduced. Deductions are also limited for married couples filing jointly or qualifying widows or widowers who earn from $60,000 to $70,000 per year. Even if you don't have a retirement plan at work, your deduction may be limited if your spouse, with whom you file a joint return, has a company pension plan. In this case, your deduction will be reduced if your joint income is between $150,000 and $160,000.
No deduction is allowed if your AGI exceeds $160,000. If you have a non-working spouse, he or she can contribute up to $3,000 ($3,500 if 50 or older) to an IRA also as long as the two of you together make at least as much in annual income as you contribute. As I said before profits and income from investments are not taxed until you retire and begin withdrawing funds. You can pay capital gains taxes on you stock market profits and then withdraw funds, without penalty, after you reach age 59?. If you take out money before then, you usually will face a 10 percent penalty, plus taxes on the withdrawn amount.
Under certain circumstances, you can take penalty-free distributions before age 59?. In the year that you will turn 70? you can no longer make contributions to your account. In fact, at that age you must start withdrawing money from the traditional IRA or face additional penalties. This account is ideal for individuals in high tax brackets who cannot open or contribute to a Roth IRA and anticipate facing a lower tax bracket upon retirement. In other words, if you earn a lot of money now, pay a lot of taxes, can open a standard Roth IRA, and take the full deduction when you contribute then this account may be good for you.
This is especially true if you anticipate low income in your retirement years such that you will also be in a lower tax bracket..
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Scott Brown, Ph.D., the Wallet Doctor, is a successful investor. Dr. Brown holds a Ph.D. in finance. The Wallet Doctor is sought after for investment advice and coaching. For more information visit Dr. Brown?s site at www.BonanzaBase.com or sign up for his investment tips at www.WalletDoctor.comSEP IRA - For Last Minute Tax Deductions
Virginia - February 24, 2003 - The SEP IRA is one of the few remaining methods for small business owners to cut their taxes for last year.
Employer contributions made to a Simplified Employee Pension-Individual Retirement Account, known as a SEP plan, before a company's tax filing deadline are deductible for 2002.
This holds true even if the SEP plan is set up and the contributions are made in 2003."A SEP-IRA allows small business owners and sole proprietors in a very simple manner to cut their tax liability by making retirement contributions for their eligible employees," says Daniel Lamaute, retirement plan specialist at InvestSafe.com and CEO of Lamaute Capital, Inc.The SEP-IRA has several main advantages for employers, says Lamaute.
"Employers get a tax deduction while the SEP-IRA contribution is not taxed as income to the employees.
The earnings within the SEP IRA are taxed deferred until the participant pulls money out, usually at retirement...
Ira > SEP IRA - For Last Minute Tax Deductions
How to Stretch Your IRA Tax-FREE
(ContentDesk) May 24, 2004 -- Income taxes are a great inhibitor to building wealth. I've talked about the power of stretching an IRA across multiple generations and how it can build tremendous wealth. Now, I'll show you how it can be done income tax-free.Last week I shared a little-known secret of how to legally turn an investment of $3500 per year into millions and millions of dollars. No, it wasn't by winning the lottery! It was through the power of ?stretching' an IRA. If you missed it you have to read it under the article archive at www.guardingyourwealth.com.
(Mr. Voudrie responds to questions from readers on an almost daily basis.
If you would like clear straightforward unbiased answers to your financial questions, contact e-mail protected from spam bots)Most people think that when they inherit an IRA that they have to take all the money out and pay taxes on it right away. But the IRS...
Ira > How to Stretch Your IRA Tax-FREE
DISCOVER THE RETIREMENT BREAKTHROUGH ?THE ROTH IRA!
If you don't know what a Roth IRA is then stop everything, print this article and read it carefully as this will certainly be the most valuable information you read this year. This next retirement account is to your net worth what light bulb was to electricity. Let me tell you about this wonderful financial invention called a Roth IRA!The main difference between the Roth and traditional IRA is that with the Roth you pay taxes first and then make the contribution. This is absolutely fantastic if you make a lot of money in the stock market because you NEVER have to pay even a dime on the capital gains! There are a ton of other advantages to the Roth IRA. Unlike the traditional IRA you can be of any age and still contribute.
You can also make a contribution to a Roth IRA at any time for a particular calendar year up until the due date of your tax return for that year. This means that if you want to make a Roth IRA contribution for 2005, you could make it anytime between January 1,...
DISCOVER THE RETIREMENT BREAKTHROUGH ?THE ROTH IRA!
Ira > DISCOVER THE RETIREMENT BREAKTHROUGH ?THE ROTH IRA!
Asset Exchange Strategies, LLC and (NAFEP) Partner to Provide Financial Advisors Ability to Help Clients Invest in Alternative Assets with an IRS Compliant IRA-LLC
Austin, TX and Salt Lake City, UT (ContentDesk) March 7, 2006 -- Asset Exchange Strategies, LLC, the leading self-directed IRA advisory firm enabling investors to invest in real estate and other non-traditional assets with an IRA, and the National Association of Financial and Estate Planning (NAFEP) today announced an agreement making Asset Exchange the exclusive advisory firm and master distributor of self-directed IRAs to NAFEPs 1,200 Certified Estate Advisor (CEA) members through its Premier IV IRA-LLC product.
As a result of the arrangement, Asset Exchange Strategies the foremost provider of Self Directed IRA LLCs will work directly with NAFEP certified financial planners, securities reps, insurance agents, attorneys, CPAs and others across the country to enable their clients to purchase real estate, notes, tax liens, private stock and other non-traditional assets with their IRAs, addressing growing demand and further expanding Asset Exchanges market reach. As the nations...
Ira > Asset Exchange Strategies, LLC and (NAFEP) Partner to Provide Financial Advisors Ability to Help Clients Invest in Alternative Assets with an IRS Compliant IRA-LLC
Rules of Simple IRA Your Business Needs to Know
A Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees plan, better known as a SIMPLE plan, is an IRA-based retirement plan available to employers with fewer than 100 employees. Under a SIMPLE IRA plan, an employee can contribute a portion of his pay to his SIMPLE IRA account. An employee can make a maximum contribution of $9,000, ($10,500 if age 50 and over), to his SIMPLE IRA account for 2004. You, the employer, are required to make a contribution for every worker who receives $5,000 or more in compensation. You can match up to 3% of the salary for the employees who contribute to their SIMPLE IRA account.
You only have to match for those employees who contribute to the plan. In any 2 years out of a 5 year period, after notification to the employees, you may elect a lower matching contribution percentage but not less than 1% of salary. Your business also has the option to select a "non-elective" mandatory company match of 2% of annual salary for every employee. Under the "non-elective...
Rules of Simple IRA Your Business Needs to Know
Ira > Rules of Simple IRA Your Business Needs to Know
Asset Exchange Strategies, LLC and (NAFEP) Partner to Provide Financial Advisors Ability to Help Clients Invest in Alternative Assets with an IRS Compliant IRA-LLC
Austin, TX and Salt Lake City, UT (ContentDesk) March 7, 2006 -- Asset Exchange Strategies, LLC, the leading self-directed IRA advisory firm enabling investors to invest in real estate and other non-traditional assets with an IRA, and the National Association of Financial and Estate Planning (NAFEP) today announced an agreement making Asset Exchange the exclusive advisory firm and master distributor of self-directed IRAs to NAFEPs 1,200 Certified Estate Advisor (CEA) members through its Premier IV IRA-LLC product.
As a result of the arrangement, Asset Exchange Strategies the foremost provider of Self Directed IRA LLCs will work directly with NAFEP certified financial planners, securities reps, insurance agents, attorneys, CPAs and others across the country to enable their clients to purchase real estate, notes, tax liens, private stock and other non-traditional assets with their IRAs, addressing growing demand and further expanding Asset Exchanges market reach. As the nations...
Ira > Asset Exchange Strategies, LLC and (NAFEP) Partner to Provide Financial Advisors Ability to Help Clients Invest in Alternative Assets with an IRS Compliant IRA-LLC