from an employer sponsored plan as the contributions are not tax deductible. The benefit, however, is that when you go to take money out, you do not have to pay taxes on the withdrawals. With a typical IRA, the contributions are “before tax dollar” but the withdrawals are taxed, with Roth IRA the contributions are “after tax dollars” but the withdrawals are not taxed.
You should consider your accounts just that - savings accounts for retirement. This means you should forget about that money until you retire. Avoid making withdrawals from the account unless it is an extreme emergency. If you change jobs, be sure to roll over your 401K plan to your new companies plan.
If at all possible, try to avoid withdrawals from your account. For example, if you are changing jobs, roll your 401k (or other pension plan) directly into a Conduit IRA. This type of IRA will maintain your plan's tax-deferred status and allow it to be rolled over to a future employer's plan.
There are many ways to save for and things are never cut and dried so you should seek the help of a financial professional to get the most mileage out of your savings. And remember - its’ never too early to start saving for - the more you have the happier your will be!
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