By Jean Folger
While IRAs are well-known among adult investors, they also make excellent savings vehicles for children who, because of their age, are poised to take full advantage of time – and the power of compounding. Your child – regardless of age – can contribute to an IRA provided he or she has earned income from a job. Here, we take a look at two types of IRAs for kids, the benefits these tax-advantaged investment vehicles offer, and how to open and make contributions to an IRA for kids.
Types of IRAs for Kids
There are two different types of IRAs that are suitable for children: traditional and Roth. The primary difference between traditional and Roth IRAs is when you pay taxes on the money that you contribute to the plan. With a traditional IRA, you pay taxes when you withdraw the money during retirement (at your then-applicable tax rate). A traditional IRA contains pre-tax earnings. With a Roth IRA, you pay taxes when you put the money into the account, so it contains earnings after tax. The money grows tax free while it’s in either a traditional or Roth IRA.
If you claim your child as a dependent, he may be required to file an income tax return of his own if his income exceeds a certain amount set by the IRS ($6,100 for 2013). If your child earns less than this amount, she is likely in a 0% income tax bracket and she probably won’t benefit from the up-front tax deduction associated with traditional IRAs.
Because many kids don’t earn enough money to benefit from the up-front tax deduction associated with traditional IRAs, it makes sense in most cases to focus on Roth IRAs. In general, the Roth IRA is the IRA of choice for minors who have limited income and who, therefore, would not benefit from a deductible traditional IRA.
Benefits of IRAs for Kids
Opening an IRA for your child provides him or her not only a head start on saving for retirement, but also valuable financial lessons. Even a small IRA (Schwab, for example, allows you to open a custodial account with just $100) can provide a platform to teach your child about taxes, retirement, compounding, and the relationship between earning, saving and spending.
While retirement income is likely to be the last thing on your young child’s mind, most kids are intrigued with the idea that a small investment today can turn into a big chunk of change later. Young children may not understand the concepts behind interest, earnings and compounding, but they are old enough to appreciate the fact that their money can grow.
A single $1,000 IRA contribution made at age 10, for example, could grow to $11,467 over 50 years, assuming a conservative 5% average annual growth rate. Contribute $50 each month, and the account might grow to $137,076 (with the initial $1,000 contribution and the same hypothetical growth rate of 5%). Or double the contribution to $100 each month and the account could reach $262,685. As children make more money and eventually become adult earners, their annual contributions are likely to be higher, and the IRA could grow correspondingly. Setting aside money each month or year for an IRA – even if the contributions are small – helps your child develop awareness and healthy financial habits.
Another benefit of IRAs is that your child may be able to tap into the account for qualified higher education expenses and up to $10,000 towards a down payment on a first home without penalty. With a Roth IRA, you can withdraw any contributions, but not the investment earnings, for any reason without tax or penalty.
If your child is a minor (under age 18 in most states; under age 19 and 21 in others), many banks, brokers and mutual funds will let you set up a custodial or guardian IRA. As the custodian, you (the adult) control the assets in the custodial IRA until your child reaches age 18 (or 21 in some states), at which point the assets are turned over to him or her. The IRA is opened in your child’s name, and you will have to provide his or her social security number when you open the account. Keep in mind, not all firms allow minors to have IRAs. Firms that currently open accounts for minors include:
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