IRAs

A spousal IRA is not a special retirement account and it is not a joint IRA. It is the IRS rule that can let a married couple filing jointly use the couple's combined taxable compensation to support IRA contributions for both spouses, even when one spouse earns little or...

No. A required minimum distribution (RMD) is not earned income. You do not create wages, self-employment income, or IRA-contribution compensation by taking money out of a retirement account. But the taxable portion of an RMD is generally included in ordinary income, which means it can still change your adjusted...

Yes, you can combine some RMDs, but not all of them. For your own traditional, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs, you calculate the required minimum distribution for each IRA separately, then you can generally take the combined total from one or more of those IRAs. Multiple 403(b) accounts have a...

Roth conversion rules determine whether the transaction is eligible, how much is taxable, which tax year it belongs to, how it is reported, and what restrictions apply after the conversion. There is no income cap on Roth conversions, but account type, basis, RMDs, deadlines, reporting forms and five-year rules...

A Roth IRA recharacterization lets you treat a regular IRA contribution as if you had originally made it to the other type of IRA. A Roth contribution can become a Traditional IRA contribution, or a Traditional contribution can become Roth, if you meet the timing and eligibility rules. What it...

There is no single best Roth IRA account for everyone. If you want a simple DIY Roth IRA, Fidelity and Charles Schwab are the first two providers I would compare in 2026. But the right choice changes with how you invest, how much help you want, what you will...

Yes, you can have a Roth IRA and a 401(k) and contribute to both in the same year. Having a workplace 401(k) does not use up your separate IRA contribution limit, and it does not by itself disqualify you from making a direct Roth IRA contribution.You can even have...

Yes, you can have multiple Roth IRAs, but they share one annual IRA contribution limit. See 2026 limits, 5-year-rule issues, and when a second account helps.

For 2026, the IRA contribution limit is $7,500 if you are under age 50 and $8,600 if you are age 50 or older. That $8,600 total includes a $1,100 catch-up contribution. That sounds simple. The part that causes mistakes is what the number actually applies to. The limit is not...

Compare Roth 401(k) vs. Roth IRA rules for 2026, including employer match, contribution limits, income rules, fees, investments, and withdrawal flexibility.