Tradicional vs. Roth
Las aportaciones tradicionales antes de impuestos reducen tu base imponible. Evitas pagar impuestos sobre tus aportaciones, pero cuando retires esos fondos para la jubilación, deberás pagar impuestos ordinarios sobre la renta de esas aportaciones y cualquier ganancia. Las aportaciones Roth no reducen tu renta imponible, por lo que pagas impuestos antes de que los fondos se aporten a tu cuenta. A partir de ese momento, puedes hacer retiros libres de impuestos de tus aportaciones y de cualquier ganancia, siempre que tengas al menos 59½ años y hayas hecho tu primera aportación Roth al menos cinco años antes.
¿Qué tipo de cotización puede ser la adecuada para ti?
Might Benefit from Roth Contributions
| Who | Why |
|---|---|
| You're financially prepared for retirement (high savings, good benefits) | Chances are you’ll be in the same or higher tax bracket in retirement. Any Roth savings would be exempt from taxation. |
| You contribute the maximum allowed amount to your plan | Switching to Roth contributions increases your tax-advantaged saving. |
| Your income prevents you from contributing to a Roth IRA | You can enjoy the advantages of a Roth IRA within your employer sponsored plan, which has no income restrictions comparable to those of the Roth IRA. |
| You don’t earn a lot today, but your career is just getting started. | You expect your income, and tax rate, to rise in the years to come. |
| You pay taxes at a low rate today (10% or 15%) | Making Roth contributions would cost you little today and could result in tax savings in retirement. |
Might Not Benefit from Roth Contributions
| Who | Why |
|---|---|
| You’re behind on saving and expect Social Security to be the mainstay of your retirement | Chances are your income will decrease in retirement. Consequently, you’ll be in a lower tax bracket. |
| Your pay spikes thanks to big commissions or bonuses. | Your tax rate may be higher this year than in retirement. So you may be better off deferring taxes now with pre-tax contributions and paying at a lower rate later. |
| You have children, a family income generally between $20,000 and $50,000, and receive the earned income tax credit or the additional child tax credit. | Switching to Roth contributions would raise your taxable income and could cost you these valuable tax credits. These credits are more valuable than the Roth would be to you. |