individual retirement account

An IRA can also be referred to as a Traditional IRA.

In order to open an IRA, an individual must first establish an account with a bank, brokerage firm or mutual fund company. These firms then act in the capacity of a fiduciary. The individual is responsible for establishing the IRA and selecting the plan investments. Once the account has been established, the individual can contribute a maximum of several thousand dollars per year into an IRA. The IRA plan, which was established in 1974 by Congress, has been an extremely popular retirement savings plan for workers for over thirty years.

Taxes on Traditional IRA contributions and earnings are deferred until the account owner takes a distribution from the IRA. When money is withdrawn from a Traditional IRA it is taxed as regular income. Withdrawals are typically made when or after the plan owner has reached the age of 59 1/2. If the plan owner withdraws money from the account prior to retirement age, then he/she will incur a 10% penalty payable to the IRS (unless specific circumstances apply).