Roth IRA's at 77/71????

[Colleen]

Is it possible to start contributing to a Roth IRA at age 77/71?? I thought it was until 71 1/2.

 

[mathjak107]

Are you working? You can only contribute earned income

 

[Colleen]

That's what I thought...thanks.

 

[garyt1957]

That's what I thought...thanks.

You could do a Roth conversion though.

 

[mathjak107]

but remember you still have to take scheduled rmd's first . you cannot convert and call it an rmd distribution .so odds are pretty good any amount worth converting coupled with rmd's may bump you in to the next bracket making the conversion a moot point . so do the math here carefully

 

[garyt1957]

but remember you still have to take scheduled rmd's first . you cannot convert and call it an rmd distribution .so odds are pretty good any amount worth converting coupled with rmd's may bump you in to the next bracket making the conversion a moot point . so do the math here carefully

True for that year, but somewhere down the line you'd be reducing the amount subject to RMD's, right?

 

[mathjak107]

you would but if you could be in the 15% bracket without a conversion but end up having that money taxed at 25% and your rmd bracket is 25% then you paid taxes up front for little benefit .

conversions only work well late in the game if you can fill the 15% bracket up with them and down the road they would be at 25% or whatever the new rates are . paying 25% on them and being in the 25% rmd tax bracket anyway is really nothing great . all the perks of tax free income like not getting ss taxed , etc are already gone at that level .

in your 70's if you can't do the conversion in the 15% bracket it likely accomplishes little .

when you are much younger and below your peak earning years it works far better .