15 Best Roth IRA Accounts of December 2020

As you can see, our roundup of the best Roth IRAs focuses on accounts offered by brokers and robo-advisors — not banks. Generally, a broker or robo-advisor is a better option than a bank for a Roth IRA account. That’s because, for a long-term goal like retirement, you want to harness the power of the stock market to help your account get bigger.

Bank Roth IRAs generally offer access to savings products, such as certificates of deposit. CDs are savings vehicles that guarantee a rate of return as long as you leave your money in for a specific period of time. Historically, stock market returns average about 10% a year. CDs are currently offering about 3%.

Of course, those higher stock market returns come with the risk that, in any given year, your account may lose value. But investors who leave their money in the market, even through those down days, enjoy hefty average gains over time.

The short answer? Yes, it’s almost always a good idea to invest in a Roth IRA account.

Roth IRAs offer a sweet tax benefit for retirement savers. Plus, you can withdraw your contributions at any time, without penalty, which means a Roth can act as a backup emergency fund.

Keep in mind that Roth IRAs don’t offer an immediate tax break. Your investment earnings grow tax-free in the Roth IRA account, and you never pay taxes on those earnings, assuming you follow the withdrawal rules.

Now, if your tax rate is the same when you contribute to the account as it is later, when you withdraw the money, then a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA offer essentially the same benefit. The only difference is the timing of your tax bill — with a traditional IRA you pay your tax bill later and with a Roth you pay your tax bill upfront.

But many people find that their tax rate changes over time. If your tax rate is likely to be higher in the future — that’s often the case for young adults who are just starting out in their careers — then a Roth makes sense, because you pay the income tax on your contributions now, when your tax rate is lower.

Of course, it can be really hard to know what your future tax rate will be, especially if retirement is decades away, so it can make sense to contribute both to a 401(k) or traditional IRA, and to a Roth IRA, if you qualify.

How much you earn in a Roth IRA account will vary, depending on what you’re investing in. The average annual stock market return historically has been about 10%.

Of course, you want to invest in a diversified portfolio of both stocks and bonds, so that your account has a buffer from the stock market’s inevitable ups and downs. Generally, creating a diversified investment portfolio means investing in a handful of mutual funds or exchange-traded funds, which, in turn, invest in a broad swath of stocks and bonds.

The Roth IRA has income rules for contributions. For 2020, the amount you can contribute begins to phase down when your annual income hits $124,000 for single filers and $196,000 for those married filing jointly. (For 2019, that income limit is $122,000 for single filers and $193,000 for married-filing-jointly filers. For 2018, the phase downs begin at $120,000 and $189,000, respectively.) The contribution limit is slowly reduced until your ability to contribute is eliminated completely. If your income is above these amounts, our Roth IRA calculator will tell you how much you can contribute.

With a Roth IRA, you can pull your contributions out at any time — remember, you’ve already paid taxes on that money.

Yes. You can have both a Roth IRA and a 401(k) and contribute the maximum you’re allowed to each.

Traditional IRAs don’t have income limits, but if you’re also covered by a workplace retirement plan like a 401(k), the amount of your contribution that you can deduct may be phased down or eliminated.

Unlike savings accounts, Roth IRAs don’t pay a set interest rate or return. Once you’ve put money into the account, you need to select investments; otherwise, your money will sit in cash, which isn’t ideal for a long-term goal like retirement. Most Roth IRA providers offer a wide range of investment options, including individual stocks, bonds and mutual funds.