10/13/2026
Letās say you were a member for a year and follow us and maxed out a Roth
Then your friend who wasnāt a member maxed out his traditional IRA
Itās the same $7,500 investment
Same returns
But two VERY different tax billsš°
Meet Tim and Rob.
At 21 years old, both decide to invest $7,500 toward retirement.
Tim chooses a Traditional IRA.
Rob chooses a Roth IRA.
Both invest in the same ETF, earn an average annual return of 8%, and never contribute another dollar.
Fast-forward 40 years. š
At age 61, both accounts have grown to approximately $162,934.
Same starting investment. Same performance. Same ending balance.
But hereās where things get interesting.
Both decide to withdraw their entire retirement accounts in one year.
šø TIM ā TRADITIONAL IRA
Account balance: $162,934
Federal income taxes: ~$27,118
Money Tim keeps: ~$135,816
Tim received a tax deduction when he originally contributed, but his withdrawals are now subject to ordinary income taxes.
š° ROB ā ROTH IRA
Account balance: $162,934
Federal income taxes: $0
Money Rob keeps: $162,934
Rob didnāt receive an upfront tax deduction, but his entire qualified withdrawal is federal income tax-free.
š THE DIFFERENCE?
Rob walks away with approximately $27,118 MORE from his retirement account.
And remember, both started with the exact same $7,500.
This is why understanding the tax treatment of your investments is just as important as understanding which investments to buy.
However, thereās an important trade-off: Tim received an upfront tax deduction that Rob didnāt. Depending on your tax bracket today versus retirement, investing those initial tax savings could change which strategy comes out ahead.
The goal isnāt just to grow your money. Itās to keep more of it.
Are you contributing to a Roth IRA or Traditional IRA?
š Let me know below.