Introduction to The Roth IRA

The Roth IRA is a type of individual retirement account. The principal difference between the Roth and a traditional IRA is that while contributions to a traditional IRA are tax-deductible (except in certain cases) and withdrawals are taxed, contributions to a Roth IRA are taxed, but qualified withdrawals are not taxed. For some investors, the inability to deduct their contributions is a tiny price to pay for tax-free withdrawals that could be quite substantial after years of having grown in an account. Of course, as in the traditional IRA, the earnings of a Roth are tax-free while they accumulate.