open traditional IRA?

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jediclampet
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open traditional IRA?

Post by jediclampet »

I just learned that tomorrow is the last day to open a traditional IRA if I want to contribute for 2012.

I am 42 years old. I already have had a Roth IRA (since 2011) and I have a 401K via my employer (current balance is $72,000). I also have $27,000 invested in a taxable account. My current annual income is $94,000. I am single with no dependents.

Should I open a traditional IRA?
Bob's not my name
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by Bob's not my name »

Your opening sentence is incorrect. You can contribute to a 2012 IRA -- Roth or traditional -- up until April 15 2013.

Also, you can't contribute to a traditional IRA if you've already maxed a Roth IRA. Not clear if you have, since "I already have had a Roth IRA (since 2011)" is ambiguous in at least two ways.

Also, at your income level you can't make a deductible contribution to a traditional IRA.
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jediclampet
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by jediclampet »

Thanks for your reply. I apologize for the ambiguity.
Bob's not my name wrote:Your opening sentence is incorrect. You can contribute to a 2012 IRA -- Roth or traditional -- up until April 15 2013.
I know April 15, 2013 is the last day to contribute for 2012 but I read that the traditional IRA account must have been opened (created) by close of business on December 31, 2012.
Bob's not my name wrote: Also, you can't contribute to a traditional IRA if you've already maxed a Roth IRA. Not clear if you have, since "I already have had a Roth IRA (since 2011)" is ambiguous in at least two ways.
Yes, I have already maxed my Roth IRA contribution for 2012. So the maximum contribution ($5000 for 2012 and $5,500 for 2013) includes traditional and Roth IRA combined? If so, I will max out the Roth and forget about the traditional IRA. Thank you!
Bob's not my name
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by Bob's not my name »

jediclampet wrote:I know April 15, 2013 is the last day to contribute for 2012 but I read that the traditional IRA account must have been opened (created) by close of business on December 31, 2012.
Not true. Where are you getting that?
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jediclampet
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by jediclampet »

Bob's not my name wrote:
jediclampet wrote:I know April 15, 2013 is the last day to contribute for 2012 but I read that the traditional IRA account must have been opened (created) by close of business on December 31, 2012.
Not true. Where are you getting that?

From here:
http://chicagophoenix.com/2012/12/30/to ... a-or-both/

"...you can still contribute to a traditional IRA for 2012. All you have to do is have the account opened by close of business Dec. 31."
BuckyBadger
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by BuckyBadger »

Is it just me, or is that entire article 1000% wrong on many fronts?
investor1
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by investor1 »

The rules of when you need to open the account are unimportant here. Since you have already contributed $5k to a Roth IRA for the year, you cannot contribute to a traditional IRA.

Just for the record, the information you read was bad. You have until the tax deline to open and contribute to an IRA (traditional or otherwise).
Last edited by investor1 on Sun Dec 30, 2012 8:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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retiredjg
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by retiredjg »

:shock:

If you have contributed $5k to Roth IRA for 2012, you are done for 2012.

Unless you want to undo it and do something different.
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pennstater2005
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by pennstater2005 »

BuckyBadger wrote:Is it just me, or is that entire article 1000% wrong on many fronts?
Not just you.

From the article

"Now for even more good news! In 2013 you will be able to contribute an additional $1,000 to your Roth IRA and your traditional IRA combined. You see the contribution limits have been increased from $5,000 to $5,500 for each account during 2013."

$5500 is the combined limit so an additional $500 would be the correct statement.
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Default User BR
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by Default User BR »

Good grief. Now I see why the OP was confused:
I was recently asked what else can be done when your employer does not offer a retirement plan and you are already contributing the maximum to your Roth IRA.

First of all, I want to say congratulations for contributing the annual maximum of $5,000 to your Roth IRA. Now for some good news, you can still contribute to a traditional IRA for 2012. All you have to do is have the account opened by close of business Dec. 31. You can contribute a maximum of $5,000 for the 2012 tax year and you have until April 15, 2013 to make that contribution.
This guy is claiming that you can max your Roth AND contribute to a traditional. Madness. Who is this guy? Is this some joke thing like the Onion?


Brian
Bob's not my name
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by Bob's not my name »

Default User BR wrote:Who is this guy? Is this some joke thing like the Onion?
If you Google chicago phoenix all the hits are chicagophoenix. It's a website nobody has ever read. And it's a very weird website.
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retiredjg
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by retiredjg »

It is hard to believe the article's author got this issue that wrong. There are a lot of things that are confusing, but this is simply not one of them. And he got it wrong in more than one way.

The author is apparently a professional in some kind of financial advisory capacity. A bit scary, but it just proves the old adage of "don't believe everything you read on the internet". That's one of the beauties of this forum - when someone screws up, there is almost always someone else who catches it and points it out.

I tried to read other articles by the author, but got blocked after reading only one. Apparently, they want a donation to be a regular reader. In that one article (about 401ks and 403bs) I didn't see any information that I thought was incorrect.
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jediclampet
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by jediclampet »

I found that article while browsing the Business section of Google News yesterday.
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bUU
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by bUU »

Good thing you have now found a great place to find the correct information about personal finance. :)
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by LadyGeek »

Here's something close: Traditional IRA and Roth IRA

The reason I said "close" is because there is only one credible source on the internet for IRA information: Publication 590 (2011), Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)
jediclampet wrote:From here:
http://chicagophoenix.com/2012/12/30/to ... a-or-both/

"...you can still contribute to a traditional IRA for 2012. All you have to do is have the account opened by close of business Dec. 31."
It looks like the article has been corrected. "Although you do not have to have the IRA account opened by the end of the year, you should do it anyway."
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retiredjg
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by retiredjg »

LadyGeek wrote:It looks like the article has been corrected. "Although you do not have to have the IRA account opened by the end of the year, you should do it anyway."
I think that part was already in there (contradicting an earlier statement in the same article). The part that is (more) incorrect is saying you can fill both a Roth IRA and a tIRA each year, for a total of $5k EACH.

Or maybe that got corrected, but I can't see the article any more so I don't know.
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pennstater2005
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Re: open traditional IRA?

Post by pennstater2005 »

retiredjg wrote:
LadyGeek wrote:It looks like the article has been corrected. "Although you do not have to have the IRA account opened by the end of the year, you should do it anyway."
I think that part was already in there (contradicting an earlier statement in the same article). The part that is (more) incorrect is saying you can fill both a Roth IRA and a tIRA each year, for a total of $5k EACH.

Or maybe that got corrected, but I can't see the article any more so I don't know.
It has not been corrected. It is still stating you can fill both at $5500 each. I probably won't try that personally :happy
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