Understanding IRA Contribution Limits

Being financially ready for retirement is an important life event that all adults should be preparing for. A traditional IRA account is a beneficial way for individuals to prepare for retirement. Individuals have the ability to put back a little money at a time for their retirement.

In order to begin contributing to your new Traditional IRA retirement plan you must meet a few requirements.

• If you are over the age of 70 1/2, you are no longer eligible to contribute.
• Anyone who wants to contribute must have a direct source of income such as wages earned from a job, bonuses or commissions.

It is important to remember that anyone who qualifies for a Traditional IRA also have the opportunity to take advantage of the great tax benefits. Contributions made directly to a Traditional IRA are tax deferred. Any money that you put into your fund is not subject to income taxes. You do not pay taxes on the portion of your income that you put into the fund. The money is taxed only after you begin to withdraw it which can be no later than the age of 70 1/2. Many people are typically in a lower tax bracket at this age and pay less taxes overall. Income that you put into your Traditional IRA is considered tax deductible.

Traditional IRA plans do have a limit on their yearly contribution amounts.

• Individuals that are 49 or younger can contribute $5,000 max.

Participants that are age 50 and older can contribute a max of $6,000. The April 15 income tax deadline each year is the last chance for individuals to make deductible contributions to their account. That means that you actually have until the next year in April to make contributions that count towards your current year’s deductible income.

• You should always consider all of your possible choices when trying to decide whether to choose a Traditional or Roth IRA or invest in a 401k plan.
• Regardless of your income if you meet the guidelines you can open a Traditional IRA.
• Tax deductions and other benefits are available as soon as you begin to contribute.
• When it comes time to withdraw your IRA contributions from your account if you fall into a lower tax bracket you end up paying less tax on your IRA contributions.

There can be some disadvantages to choosing the Traditional IRA over the other plan types.

• If you have the opportunity to get in a retirement plan at work, you may run into eligibility problems when trying to make your tax deductions.
• Any individual who is under the age of 59 1/2 that withdraws from their Traditional IRA account early is subject to early withdrawal penalties.
• You must get prepared to start withdrawing once you hit the age of 70 1/2 because in the event you don’t the IRS can seize your funds.

Before you choose a retirement plan, make sure that you check out each plan carefully to ensure you meet your needs. You may decide to start a Traditional IRA or even split funds between it and a Roth IRA or 401k plan.

Confused about the differnce between Roth IRAs and traditional IRAs? To find out about Roth IRA rules, go to: Roth IRA Information.