Roll Overs, Horse Races and Backdoor Roth IRA Strategy’s

Yeah, backdoor Roth IRA sounds pretty badass – badass but complicated.  Many of us have tossed around the idea of having a traditions IRA or a Roth but what if you can have the best of both worlds? There are not many times in life that allow us to have our cake and also to eat it, but this is one of those times.  Quick IRA Re-Cap  We could do a year of shows devoted to all things IRA and there would still be questions. They are confusing so here is a bit of a refresher on the basics.  IRA stands for an individual retirement account. It’s a tax-advantaged investment vehicle to save for retirement. There are several kinds, including SIMPLE, SEP, Traditional, and Roth. The last two are the ones we will be talking about today and the two that are most commonly used. Traditional IRA A traditional IRA lets you invest pre-tax income into an account that will grow tax-deferred. The money is not taxed until you withdraw it. You can withdraw funds after age 59.5. Putting money into a Traditional IRA lowers the amount of taxable income for the year you made the contribution. Not only does it lower you adjusted gross income, doing so can help you qualify for other tax breaks like student loan interest deductions or child tax credits. Roth IRA A Roth IRA is similar to a Traditional, but the money is taxed up front and not upon withdrawal after age 59.5. Roth contributions (but not earnings) can be withdrawn without penalty and tax-free at any time. After five years have elapsed after the first contribution, you are allowed to withdrawal up as much as $10,000 of the earnings penalty-free to pay for certain qualified expenses. Contribution Limits Both Traditional and Roth’s have the same contribution limits, $5,500 per year for 2016 ($6,500 if you’re aged 50 or older.) But there are income limits for high earners. If you’re single and earn over $129,000 or file jointly as a married couple and earn over than $191,000 you are forbidden to contribute to a Roth IRA entirely! Penalties Withdrawals from a Traditional are