As long as you meet the eligibility requirements, such as earning income from work, you can contribute to both a Roth account and a traditional IRA. You can contribute to both types of IRA as long as you meet all the requirements. You'll get the immediate benefits of tax-deductible contributions if you contribute to a traditional IRA. You may get the long-term benefits of tax-free retirement income if you contribute to a Roth.
Yes, you can contribute to a Roth IRA and a 401 (k) at the same time. Some high-income taxpayers have limits on deducting IRA contributions, but income doesn't affect their ability to make contributions to the traditional IRA. Contributing to both a Roth IRA and an employer-sponsored retirement plan helps you save as much in tax-advantaged retirement accounts as allowed by law. Learn the differences between a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA and whether you should choose just one or contribute to both.
You can contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA even if you participate in another retirement plan through your employer or company. If you have other IRAs with pre-tax contributions, you'll need to follow the proration (or aggregation) rule. Savvy savers can still invest money in a Roth IRA even if they don't qualify to contribute to one directly. The great thing about an IRA (whether Roth or traditional) is that you can open it at almost any discount broker, with no account fees and with access to a wide variety of low-cost investments.
However, you can still contribute to a Roth IRA and make cumulative contributions to a Roth or traditional IRA, regardless of your age. Therefore, a Roth IRA can be a good vehicle for saving for pre-retirement goals if you wouldn't otherwise contribute to an IRA. If you have higher incomes and are about to qualify for a contribution to the Roth IRA, making a 401 (k) contribution could cause you not to meet income limits, since those contributions don't count toward your AGI. You'll also learn how much you can contribute to that Roth IRA account, how to avoid eligibility restrictions, the flexibility of saving on a Roth IRA compared to other individual retirement accounts, and the benefits of saving on both a 401 (k) and a Roth IRA.
The main difference between a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA is the characterization of the money you contribute to each one. The first step in determining your eligibility to contribute to a Roth IRA is to find out your modified adjusted gross income. Of course, your combined total contributions to Roth and traditional IRAs can't exceed the annual limit. Some high-income taxpayers are unable to contribute to Roth accounts because of the restrictions associated with these accounts.
