An individual retirement account (IRA) is a tax-advantaged investing tool that individuals use to earmark funds for retirement savings. There are several types of IRAs as of 2019: traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs
- Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are investing tools for individuals to earmark their retirement savings.
- Depending on the individual’s employment status, IRAs can be of different types and have different tax liabilities.
- If you withdraw money from an IRA prior to age 59½, you are in most cases subject to an early withdrawal penalty of 10%.
A certificate of deposit (CD) is a product offered by banks and credit unions that offers an interest rate premium in exchange for the customer agreeing to leave a lump-sum deposit untouched for a predetermined period of time. Almost all consumer financial institutions offer them, although it’s up to each bank which CD terms it wants to offer, how much higher the rate will be vs. the bank’s savings and money market products, and what penalties it applies for early withdrawal.
A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a tax-advantaged account created for individuals who are covered under high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to save for medical expenses that HDHPs do not cover. Contributions are made into the account by the individual or the individual's employer and are limited to a maximum amount each year. The contributions are invested over time and can be used to pay for qualified medical expenses, which include most medical care such as dental, vision, and over-the-counter drugs.