Roth IRA not worth it?

This might be a dumb question and maybe I’m just missing something, but how is a Roth IRA worth it if I’ll only be able to contribute for a few years? Assuming a 6-7% growth per year, that doesn’t really add up to much significant growth. How am I looking at this wrong?

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How are you only getting 6-7% returns? You can have a self-directed Roth and then contribute with a back-door Roth. Use the employer retirement vehicle as your long-term growth account. Diversify into a bunch of funds they offer. You'll probably get 8% return minimum most years in that. Then, in your Roth, be risky. Since it's a post-tax advantage, capital gains won't be taxed. I have typically gotten 12-16% in my Roth just in things like SPDR, JEPY, TQQQ, QQQM, etc. I even do some day trading with about 25k for funsies, and it has usually panned out during the bull market run we've had. I'll probably push it over to a Dvd paying stock once we hit correction. 

If your income is past the threshold, you should be investing in multiple vehicles for long-term and personal gains. 

 

It's mostly about tax timing and your current income tax rate. I would take advantage while you're able because you'll hit phaseout pretty quickly in IB. 

As a rule of thumb, the higher your tax rate, the more you benefit from tax deferral and less from Roth. Individuals in the 22%/24% tax bracket will often hedge their bets (on future tax rates) and contribute some to pre-tax and some to Roth (assuming Roth 401k option). 

Backdoor Roth's are fine where applicable, but I also like the flexibility of adding money to brokerage accounts. Big Roth conversions when the market has significant drawdowns can also be advantageous. 

The only big no-no is after-tax 401k/ IRA contributions that aren't converted to Roth. They offer next to no benefit.

 

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