Roth vs. Traditional IRA: Which Is Right for You?

Answer a few questions about your income, retirement plans, and tax situation. Get a personalized side-by-side comparison — free.

Tool · Free

Education only. This tool provides general educational information based on your inputs. It does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Results are estimates — actual outcomes depend on many factors including future tax law changes. Consult a qualified tax professional before making retirement account decisions.

Your Situation

Income & Goals

Your Results

Comparison

Your Situation

Current age

Expected retirement age

Filing status

— Select — ▾

State of residence

— Select state — ▾

Do you have an employer 401(k) with a match?

Yes — my employer matches contributions

No — no employer match

Income & Goals

Current annual income (before taxes)

Total household income — wages, self-employment, etc.

Annual IRA contribution amount

How much you plan to contribute per year. 2026 limit: $7,500 (under 50) or $8,600 (age 50+).

Expected annual income in retirement (excluding IRA withdrawals)

Social Security, pension, part-time work, rental income — everything except IRA distributions.

Expected annual IRA withdrawal in retirement

How much you expect to pull from your IRA each year in retirement.

Expected annual investment return: 7%

Historical stock market average is ~7% after inflation. Adjust for your strategy.

Expected monthly Social Security benefit (optional)

Find your estimate at ssa.gov/myaccount. Enter 0 if unsure — you can still get useful results.

Do you plan to leave your IRA to heirs?

Yes — this is part of my estate plan

Roth IRAs pass to heirs income-tax-free and have no RMDs during your lifetime

No — I plan to spend it in retirement

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Your personalized comparison is ready.

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Projected balance at retirement under both options
Estimated lifetime tax cost comparison
RMD impact analysis for Traditional IRA
Social Security "tax torpedo" warning if applicable
State tax impact on retirement withdrawals
Key factors summary table

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Traditional IRA

—

Projected balance at retirement

Annual tax savings now—

Reinvested savings at retirement—

Total wealth (IRA + reinvested)—

Est. lifetime tax on withdrawals—

Your current tax bracket—

Est. retirement tax bracket—

Net After-Tax Wealth—

Roth IRA

—

Projected balance at retirement

Annual tax savings now$0

Reinvested savings at retirement$0

Total wealth—

Est. lifetime tax on withdrawals$0

Qualified withdrawalsTax-free

Required Minimum DistributionsNone

Net After-Tax Wealth—

Key Factors for Your Situation

Factor	Your Numbers	Favors

Important: These projections are illustrative estimates based on the information you provided and assume constant rates of return, contribution amounts, and tax rates. Actual results will vary significantly. This tool does not account for inflation, changing tax laws, investment fees, Social Security COLA adjustments, or individual circumstances. The "reinvested tax savings" scenario assumes Traditional IRA tax savings are invested in a taxable brokerage account at the same return rate, net of a 15% capital gains tax — if tax savings are spent rather than reinvested, Roth typically performs better. Consult a qualified tax professional or financial advisor before making retirement account decisions.