How IRAs Work: Traditional vs. Roth, Contributions, Taxes, and Withdrawals

Bullish Gator

Clear IRA basics: traditional vs Roth, contribution limits, tax rules, withdrawals, eligibility, and how to choose for your retirement goals.

Editorial companion

What stands out

Mark Riepe’s Charles Schwab explainer on IRAs is one of those practical conversations that doesn't feel sexy but can change outcomes. It lays out traditional versus Roth, contribution limits, and withdrawal rules, basically the tax plumbing that decides whether your returns compound tax-free or get taxed on the way out. For anyone saving for decades, the choice of account can alter retirement spending as much as a few percentage points of annual return. With markets and macro headlines making forecasting harder, controlling the tax side is low-hanging fruit.