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Appeals to eligible investors who: |
Want to move retirement funds from an employer-sponsored plan to an IRA |
Anticipate being in a lower tax bracket in retirement, or
Meet the criteria for making tax-deductible contributions and are most interested in a current tax deduction or not eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA |
Want tax-deferred earnings and qualified tax-free distributions
Expect their tax bracket to be the same or higher in retirement
Looking for tax-free income at retirement
Interested in passing IRA assets to their heirs
May not need their IRA assets to cover living expenses during retirement |
Are self-employed individuals or business owners with employees2
Prefer a plan that is easy to set up and maintain |
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Minimum balance |
None
Some investments may have minimums associated with them |
None
Some investments may have minimums associated with them |
None
Some investments may have minimums associated with them |
None
Some investments may have minimums associated with them |
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Online Access |
Account access to trading, balances, and activity through online brokerage |
Account access to trading, balances, and activity through online brokerage |
Account access to trading, balances, and activity through online brokerage |
Account access to trading, balances, and activity through online brokerage |
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Annual Maximum Contribution |
Eligible rollover amounts from employer sponsored plans are unlimited, but contribution limits are the same as Traditional IRAs |
Lesser of 100 percent of your earned income, or:
2008 & beyond: $5,000 (to be adjusted annually for inflation after 2009)
Aggregated with other IRA accounts (except Education Savings Accounts, SEP & Simple Employer Contributions) |
Lesser of 100 percent of your earned income, or:
2008 & beyond: $5,000 (to be adjusted annually for inflation after 2009)
Aggregated with other IRA accounts (except Education Savings Accounts, SEP & Simple Employer Contributions) |
Employer contributions only
Total contributions to each employee's IRA cannot exceed the lesser of $46,000 for 2008 or 25% of pay |
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Catch-Up Provisions (for individuals age 50 and older) |
Same as Traditional IRA1 |
$1,000 |
$1,000 |
No |
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Contribution Deadline |
April 15 of the following year, the tax filing deadline for Traditional IRA contributions. |
April 15 of the following year, the tax filing deadline. |
April 15 of the following year, the tax filing deadline. |
The company's tax filing deadline, plus extensions. |
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Restrictions on Contributions |
Same as Traditional IRA1 |
Contributions can only be made prior to the year in which the IRA owner turns 70 ½
Must have earned income |
No age requirements
Tax year 2008: Not available for taxpayers with annual Adjusted Gross Income over $116,000 (single) and $169,000 (joint)
Must have earned income |
Employer contributions only
Some employees may be excluded from this plan |
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Deductible Contributions? |
Same as Traditional IRA1 |
Subject to income limits and participation in an employer-sponsored plan |
Contributions are not tax-deductible |
Contributions are tax-deductible for the business, up to 20% of modified net earnings (self-employed) or 25% of salary (employees) |
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Taxation on Distributions |
Same as traditional IRA
Distributions are subject to current federal income taxes and a possible 10% penalty (if the participant is under age 59½) |
Earnings and deductible contributions are taxed as ordinary income
10% federal tax penalty before age 59 ½ unless due to death, disability, eligible medical expenses, certain unemployed individual's health insurance premiums, limited "first time" home purchase ($10,000 life-time maximum), qualified higher expenses or IRS levy.
No tax on non-deductible contributions |
Qualified distributions of contributions may generally be distributed tax- and penalty-free
Earnings are distributed tax-free and penalty free if held at least five years in the Roth IRA and either paid out after age 59 ½ or because of one of the following:
(1) Death (2) Disability (3) First home purchase
If earnings are taken earlier, they are subject to ordinary income tax and may be subject to a 10% penalty |
Same as traditional IRA
Distributions are subject to current federal income taxes and a possible 10% federal tax penalty (if the participant is under age 59½) |
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Mandatory Distributions |
Same as traditional IRA |
Age 70 ½ or death |
None during lifetime
Beneficiary (except spouse) must begin the year following the IRA owner's death |
Same as traditional IRA |
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Set-up costs |
None |
None |
None |
None |
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Annual Fee |
Self-Directed Brokerage IRA $50
Ways to waive the fee4 |
Self-Directed Brokerage IRA $50
Ways to waive the fee4 |
Self-Directed Brokerage IRA $50
Ways to waive the fee4 |
Self-Directed Brokerage IRA $50
Ways to waive the fee54 |
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Choices |
Full spectrum of investment choices, including:
Mutual Funds (load and no-load)
Stocks
Bonds
Options on stocks and common indexes
FDIC-insured bank products (fixed-rate CDs and money market accounts) |
Full spectrum of investment choices, including:
Mutual Funds (load and no-load)
Stocks
Bonds
Options on stocks and common indexes
FDIC-insured bank products (fixed-rate CDs and money market accounts) |
Full spectrum of investment choices, including:
Mutual Funds (load and no-load)
Stocks
Bonds
Options on stocks and common indexes
FDIC-insured bank products (fixed-rate CDs and money market accounts) |
Full spectrum of investment choices, including:
Mutual Funds (load and no-load)
Stocks
Bonds
Options on stocks and common indexes
FDIC-insured bank products (fixed-rate CDs and money market accounts) |
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Relationships |
Professional assistance5 or do-it-yourself investing6 |
Professional assistance5 or do-it-yourself investing6 |
Professional assistance5 or do-it-yourself investing6 |
Professional assistance5 or do-it-yourself investing6 |