If you are thinking in terms of saving for your retirement, then the Roth IRA can prove to be a fruitful option. You can contribute a certain amount of your compensation income into a Roth IRA account. The amount contributed is nondeductible and so Roth IRAs, or individual retirement arrangements or individual retirement accounts, as they are commonly called, are the ideal way to enable your earnings to grow tax-free. In fact, the Roth IRA provides earnings that are tax-deferred and possibly tax-free. The contributions themselves are subject to tax deductions, but the distribution or withdrawals are not.Yet there are some Rules and regulations associated with the Roth IRA, and not all people are eligible for this retirement savings option.

First of all, the maximum amount that you can contribute to this account in one year cannot exceed $4,000 or 100% of your gross adjustable income, whichever is less. To contribute to the Roth IRA, you need to have taxable income, and also the adjusted gross income should be less than $110,000 individually, $160,000 if you are married and file a joint return, and $100,000 if you are married but file separate returns. Also, the amount you contribute to the Roth IRA will be reduced by the contributions you make to a traditional IRA. This means is that the total contributions you make to a traditional IRA and the Roth IRA for a financial year should not exceed the total contribution allowed for that particular year.

Regarding distributions, you can make withdrawals from this account after a period of five years, beginning from the first year when the contributions were made into the Roth IRA account, though there are certain conditions that have to be met. The withdrawals will not be subject to taxes if your age is fifty-nine years and a half, or if you have become disabled. Alternatively, you can withdraw this money to buy, build or rebuild a first home.