what is traditional ira vs roth ira 
traditional iras are tax deferred investment vehicles whereas roth iras are tax exempt in the case of traditional iras the amount you contribute gives an immediate tax advantage as you can deduct this amount from your taxable income while roth iras provide no immediate tax advantage you can not deduct contributions from your taxable income the gains they accrue are tax free upon withdrawal at what age does a roth ira not make sense individuals of any age can contribute to a roth ira unlike traditional iras roth iras do not have mandatory rmds however roth iras do have a five year rule which requires individuals to wait five years following their first contribution to a roth ira to make their first earnings withdrawal this limitation may be a factor to consider when deciding whether to contribute to a roth ira 