Traditional IRA
News, insights and expert analysis on traditional ira from the team at Kiplinger.
The traditional IRA is one of the best options in the retirement-savings toolbox. You can open a traditional IRA at a bank or a brokerage, and the universe of investments is wide open to you. But with that freedom comes responsibility. Traditional IRAs have a lot of rules — break one and you could face a penalty. If you'd like to know more about IRAs, start with our beginner's guide: everything you should know about traditional IRAs then work your way through our other features and guides on smart strategies to ensure you can end up with a sizable chunk of change down the road.
Latest
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Is Your 401(k) Rollover Truly Protected in an IRA?Quiz Take our 10-question quiz see if your hard-earned nest egg is truly protected from hidden liabilities, or if you are exposed to unexpected risks.
By Donna LeValley
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Traditional IRA Basics: 10 Things to Know to Build WealthBasics A traditional IRA can be a powerful retirement-savings tool but you need to understand contribution limits, RMDs, rules for beneficiaries under the SECURE Act and more.
By Jackie Stewart
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Should You Convert a Traditional IRA to a Roth After 60?retirement You can convert an IRA to a Roth no matter how old you are. But if the conversion boosts your income, it could have tax consequences.
By Kimberly Lankford
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The $3,000 Retirement Mistake Millions Make Each Year (And How to Avoid It)A little oversight or automation can keep money in your pocket.
By Donna Fuscaldo
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Inheriting an IRA? The 3 Decisions That Could Cost You ThousandsDon't get hit with a big tax bill thanks to an inherited IRA. Learn the rules and save.
By Donna Fuscaldo
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The Average IRA Balance by Age and GenerationThanks to record contributions, the average IRA account balance is up nearly 8% over the past year despite market volatility that drove balances down in the first quarter of 2026.
By Adam Shell
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How Alternatives and Self-Directed Investing Reshape the IRAInvestors are exploring self-directed IRAs where they can hold traditional and alternative investments in one account.
By Adam Bergman
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Safe or Seizable?: The IRA & Bankruptcy Protection QuizQuiz Depending on the type of IRA you own and/or how you inherited it, your "safe" money might actually be on the table for creditors.
By Donna LeValley
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How IRAs Impact Social SecurityDo your traditional IRA distributions count as income that could lower your Social Security benefits? It depends.
By Tom Taulli
