The contribution limits for both the Traditional and Roth IRA for 2006 and 2007 is $4,000 with a "catch up" contribution of $1,000 for those age 50 and over. There are several factors to determine the deductibility of Traditional IRA contributions and the eligibility of Roth IRA contributions based upon adjusted gross income and participation in other retirement plans.

Contributions to Traditional or Roth IRAs do not effect the contributions you can make to a Coverdell ESA.

Rollover - A distribution from a traditional IRA can be contributed to a Roth IRA within 60 days after distribution. Trustee-to-trustee transfer - The financial institution holding the traditional IRA assets will provide directions on how to transfer those assets to a Roth IRA with another financial institution.

Anyone with earned income up to $95,000 for single filers, (phase out between $95,000 and $110,000) and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly, (phase out between $150,000 and $160,000) can contribute.

Unlike the Traditional IRA, there is no 70 ? age limit on making contributions. You simply need to have earned income equal to the amount you contribute, up to a maximum of $4000 ($8000 combined for spouses) per year. There are income thresholds that may reduce the amount you can contribute.

Yes, you can. But remember that you can only contribute up to $3,000 per year to any combination of Traditional and Roth IRAs that you have. You cannot contribute $3,000 to each.

Yes, as long as the amount of your contributions does not exceed $4000. For example, if you were eligible to make a $2000 deductible contribution to a Traditional IRA, you can also make a $2000 non-deductible contribution to a Traditional or Roth IRA.

The Roth IRA was first introduced in 1998, quickly gaining popularity as the new retirement planning investment vehicle. The main difference between the Roth IRA and the Traditional IRA is that contributions to a Roth IRA are not tax deductible and therefore come from after-tax income. However, the income generated by the Roth IRA is tax-free upon qualified withdrawal. In other words, traditional IRAs offer tax deferral while Roth IRA earnings are

While the Traditional and Roth IRA have different eligibility requirements, the main difference between the Roth IRA and the Traditional IRA is when taxation occurs. A traditional IRA is considered "Pre" tax thus reducing your taxable income in the year contributed. A Roth IRA is "Post" tax thus not reducing your current year taxable income. When distributions are taken after 59 ? from a Traditional IRA both the contributions and the earnings will be part of your taxable income.

A Roth IRA offers significant advantages over a traditional IRA. Chief among them is that the income earned by your Roth IRA, in most cases, is not taxable when you receive it after your retirement (age 59½). Also, Roth IRAs are generally not subject to the required minimum distribution rules that apply to traditional IRAs for persons age 70½.

No. IRAs may only be transferred to the same type of IRA (i.e. Traditional to Traditional, Roth to Roth, etc.) Also note that IRAs cannot contain any margin loans, short positions, or equity option positions.

Rollover – You can receive a distribution from a traditional IRA and contribute it to a Roth IRA within 60 days after distribution. Trustee-to-trustee transfer – You simply follow the directions of the financial institution holding your traditional IRA assets on how to transfer those assets to a Roth IRA with another financial institution.

Yes, individuals can contribute to a traditional IRA whether or not they are covered by another retirement plan. However, they may not be able to deduct all of their contributions if they or their spouses are covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan. [Note that contributions to a Roth IRA are not deductible and income limits apply.] See Publication 590 for further information.

The maximum contribution to a Traditional IRA is $3,000 or 100% of earned income per tax year, whichever is less. You must reduce this contribution by the amount contributed to a Roth IRA in the same year. Yes. IRA holders age 50 and older may contribute an extra $500 to their IRA in addition to their regular contribution.

A Traditional IRA can be opened by anyone with earned income from employment that is under the age of 70 ?. The maximum contribution for 2006-07 is $4,000 ($5000 if 50 yrs or older) or 100% of your earned income, whichever is less.

Anyone under age 70½ with earned income can contribute up to $4,000 per year to a Traditional IRA. However, whether or not you qualify to deduct your contributions is determined by whether you or your spouse participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan and the amount of your adjusted gross income (AGI). of 2005, any person at any age can contribute up to $4,000 per year to a Roth IRA as long as you or your spouse have earned income and your AGI is within established income limits.

If the SEP participant???s modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) for 2007 is under $52,000 (single filer) or under $83,000 (married, joint filer), then a full deduction for a traditional IRA contribution is also permitted. The amount that may be deducted is phased out over the next $10,000 in income.

A conversion is a taxable movement of assets from a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. The amount converted will be subject to full taxation in the year of the conversion. The funds, however, will not be subject to the 10% premature distribution penalty.

Yes. Tax law provisions allow you to convert (roll over) your Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Certain eligibility requirements (income and tax filing status) apply, such as: your AGI cannot exceed $100,000, and married individuals filing separately may not convert Traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs. Conversion is considered a taxable distribution from your current Traditional IRA for prior earnings and deductible contributions, but not subject to the 10% penalty tax.

The biggest difference in the two types of IRA accounts is that the Traditional IRA includes tax differed earnings, income replacement for retirement, and, in some cases, an income tax deduction. Members defer paying the taxes until they are retired and in a lower tax bracket A Roth IRA allows only nondeductible contributions but features tax-free withdrawals for certain distribution reasons after a five-year holding period and reaching 59 ½ years old.

Maybe. If your modified adjusted gross income is $100,000 or less (in the year you switch) you qualify to transfer an existing (Traditional) IRA into a Roth IRA. However, married taxpayers filing separately cannot make such a transfer. Keep in mind taxes will have to be paid on the amount transferred from an existing (Traditional) IRA at the time the switch is made. Therefore, if you should transfer or not depends on your specific situation.

You will have to pay income taxes on all tax-deductible Traditional IRA contributions and earnings converted to a Roth IRA, in the same year as the conversion (except in the year 1998, when you were allowed to spread the payments over a four year period). If you do not expect to have enough money (from a non-IRA source) to pay the income taxes, you are probably better off not converting.

The annual maintenance fee for both a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA is $10. This fee is per type of account. So, for example, if you have a traditional IRA account with money invested in each of five funds, your annual maintenance fee would be $10. If you have a traditional IRA account and a Roth IRA account, each with investments in one or more funds, your maintenance fee would be $20. The fee for termination, rollover, or transfer of account to a successor custodian is $10.

You must complete the conversion within 60 days. Because Tax penalties can be assessed if not handled properly, we recommend that you check with a North Shore Bank Investment Advisor or your tax advisor before initiating this type of transaction. No. Unlike with traditional IRAs, which require distributions to begin at age 70, your earnings can continue to grow in a Roth IRA until you need them.