The Retirement Story, 10 IRA Mistakes

On this week’s episode of Money On Tap with Seth Krussman and Ben Brayshaw, we discuss the different types of IRA’s and address questions from our listeners with regards to which IRA is more effective. Money is divided into two buckets – qualified and non-qualified. Non-qualified money being money in your savings account, your checking account, and your house. Qualified money being your IRA, 401k, and Roth IRA. Today we are focusing on IRA and Roth IRA, the difference between the two, benefits of having one versus the other and ways in which you can use each one to its full potential. Today’s Money in The News focused on the death of Bernie Madoff (82), the mastermind behind the Ponzi scheme. Madoff’s legacy will most likely be focused on his creation of the Ponzi scheme and not around the fact that he was the one who created the NASDAQ. The effects of the Madoff scheme go as deep as changing the way the SCC investigates fraud and financial managers.Is it too late to fix my retirement at 50?No — the 50s are the catch-up years by design. Catch-up provisions let you contribute above the standard limits to 401(k)s and IRAs, the HSA offers triple tax advantages for future healthcare costs, and a backdoor Roth can build a tax-free bucket even if your income is too high for direct contributions. Pair those with a segmented "bucket" strategy — instead of retreating to CDs and cash — and most late starts can still be rescued. The first step is knowing your income need, not chasing a number.