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Roth IRA Calculator Creating a Roth IRA can make a big difference in your retirement savings. There is no tax deduction for contributions made to a Roth IRA, however all future earnings are sheltered from taxes, under current tax laws. The Roth IRA can provide truly tax-free growth.
Definitions
- Annual contribution
- The amount you will contribute to your Roth IRA each year. This calculator assumes that you make your contribution at the beginning of each year. In 2013, the maximum annual IRA contribution was increased $500 to $5,500 per individual. It is important to note that this is the maximum total contributed to all of your IRA accounts. The contribution limit increases with inflation in $500 increments. An annual change to the contribution limit only occurs if the cumulative effect of inflation since the last adjustment is $500 or more.
If you are 50 or older you can make an additional "catch-up" contribution of $1,000. The "catch-up" contribution amount of $1,000 remains unchanged for 2012. In order to qualify for the "catch-up" contribution, you must turn 50 by the end of the year in which you are making the contribution.
It is important to note that Roth IRA contributions are limited for higher incomes. If your income falls in a "phase-out" range you are allowed only a prorated Roth IRA contribution. If your income exceeds the phase-out range, you do not qualify for any Roth IRA contribution. For the purposes of this calculator, we assume that your income does not limit your ability to contribute to a Roth IRA. The table below summarizes the income "phase-out" ranges for Roth IRAs.
Starting in 2010 high income individuals will have the option to make non-deductible traditional IRA contributions and then immediately convert them to a Roth IRA. This can effectively eliminate the income phase-out for Roth IRA contributions.
| Married filing jointly or head of household |
$178,000 to $188,000 |
| Single |
$112,000 to $127,000 |
| Married filing separately |
$0 to $10,000 |
- Expected rate of return
- The annual rate of return for your IRA. This calculator assumes that your return is compounded annually and your contributions are made at the beginning of each year. The actual rate of return is largely dependent on the type of investments you select. From January 1970 to the end of 2012, the average compounded rate of return for the S&P 500, including reinvestment of dividends, was approximately 10.1% per year. During this period, the highest 12-month return was 64%, and the lowest was -43% (Standard and Poor's, Dec. 2012). Savings accounts at a bank may pay as little as 1% or less (Federal Reserve Statistical Release, Dec. 2009). It is important to remember that future rates of return can't be predicted with certainty and that investments that pay higher rates of return are subject to higher risk and volatility. The actual rate of return on investments can vary widely over time, especially for long-term investments. This includes the potential loss of principal on your investment.
- Current age
- Your current age.
- Age of retirement
- Age you wish to retire. This calculator assumes that the year you retire, you do not make any contributions to your IRA. So if you retire at age 65, your last contribution is assumed to have happened when you were actually 64.
- Marginal tax rate
- The marginal tax rate you expect to pay on your taxable investments.
- Roth total at retirement
- Total value in your Roth IRA at your retirement. To take any distributions that include earnings that are tax free, the Roth IRA must be opened for 5 tax years. Eligible tax free distributions include those taken for death or disability, after age 59-1/2, or for a first time home purchase.
- Total taxable savings
- The total amount you would have accumulated by retirement in a taxable savings account.
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