Learn which traditional IRA broker is best for your retirement strategyUpdated on November 9, 2022 Show
We recommend the best products through an independent review process, and advertisers do not influence our picks. We may receive compensation if you visit partners we recommend. Read our advertiser disclosure for more info. Traditional IRAs are tax-advantaged retirement savings accounts. Short for individual retirement accounts, traditional IRAs enable holders to save for retirement with pretax dollars, meaning you don’t have to pay income taxes on contributions and instead pay taxes during retirement, presumably at a lower tax rate than when you were working. The best
traditional IRAs offer investors a wide range of investments at low cost. Some investors prefer a completely do-it-yourself investing experience, while others want in-depth guidance or fully automated investing, known as robo-advisor accounts. Here’s a closer look at the best IRA
accounts to help you remain on track for your retirement goals. Fidelity Investments
Get $150 when you open a new, eligible Fidelity account with $50 or more. Use code FIDELITY150. Limited time offer. Terms apply. Offer Disclosure. Pros
Cons
Why We Chose It Fidelity Investments is a large brokerage firm with a wide range of low-cost investment accounts. Investors can choose from traditional, Roth, and self-employed SEP IRAs, among others. Like other investment products from Fidelity, the traditional IRA account has no recurring fees and no minimum balance requirements. You can buy and sell stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and a selected list of mutual funds with no commissions, making the account fee-free for many investors. In addition to the self-directed IRA, Fidelity offers an automated robo-advisor version and, for a fee, access to a human financial advisor. Fidelity Go, the automated investing product, is fee-free for balances up to $10,000, then costs $3 per month up to $49,999, and 0.35% for larger accounts. Traditional financial advising requires a $25,000 minimum and 0.50% annual for hybrid robo-advising with assistance from human financial professionals. Other wealth management products are available to those with balances of $250,000 and above, though higher fees may apply. When picking your investments, you may want to consider Fidelity’s zero expense-ratio mutual funds, available to Fidelity account holders without minimum or transaction fees. Fidelity also offers a suite of financial calculators and planning resources to keep you on track for your retirement goals. Overall, low fees, a wide range of available investments, and retirement planning tools make Fidelity a top choice for traditional IRA accounts. The firm offers other banking and investment accounts that could round out all your financial-account needs. Charles Schwab Charles Schwab
Pros
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Why We Chose It Charles Schwab is a nationwide brokerage firm with low costs and a large variety of accounts and assets. Schwab IRA accounts have no recurring fees and no commissions for stock and ETF trades and a sizable list of no-transaction-fee mutual funds. Schwab is noteworthy for a no-cost robo-advising feature, where you’re assigned a professionally designed portfolio based on a series of questions about your investment goals. Upgrading to a premium version where you get help from a human financial advisor requires a $300 starting fee, then costs $30 per month. Schwab’s suite of accounts makes it a good choice for banking and investing beyond your IRA, giving you the option to keep all your finances with one company and one log-in. The biggest downside to Schwab is
poor interest rates on cash balances. Otherwise, the low-fee accounts and excellent customer service make Schwab a solid choice for an IRA. Merrill
Pros
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Why We Chose It Merrill, formerly known as Merrill Edge and a legacy of the Merrill Lynch brand, is the consumer investment division of Bank of America. Merrill Edge features a self-directed traditional IRA account with no recurring fees or minimum balance requirements and no commissions for most trades. That could work well for many investors' needs, but it is best for those with a strong relationship with the Bank of America family of brands. The bank’s Preferred Rewards program includes discounts and benefits with Merrill and other Bank of America products. For example, with a combined balance of at least $20,000 across eligible bank and investment accounts, you would qualify for 0.05% to 0.15% off the annual fee for the robo-advising and human-upgraded investment products normally cost 0.45% or 0.85% per year, respectively. Like other large competitors, Merrill’s total offerings allow you to do your banking and investing with one log-in. The added benefits as your balances grow could make Bank of America and Merrill a good
combination. While the guided-advising products are more expensive than some competitors’, the self-directed IRA is very competitive and could be used for free by many investors. Wealthfront Wealthfront
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Why We Chose It Wealthfront is a top robo-advising product that’s good for both new investors and experts who want more control over their portfolio allocation. The site charges a flat 0.25% fee on your total portfolio value, and that’s all you can expect to pay. There are no additional commissions or fees for typical activities. The core feature of Wealthfront is curated portfolios. The site suggests an ideal portfolio based on questions you answer about your investments. But you can also choose to invest in other portfolio themes, such as socially responsible investments, sector-focused investments, and other investment strategies. Wealthfront also offers a no-fee banking option and lines of credit using your investments as collateral, but curated portfolios are the biggest draw to Wealthfront over other IRA accounts. Whether you want to invest in a traditional, diversified retirement portfolio or focus on other areas important to you,
Wealthfront makes either easy to set up and maintain. M1 Finance
M1 Finance
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Why We Chose It M1 Finance is a good choice for several reasons. Most notably, most investing activity on the platform is free. There are no account or trading fees to worry about, only fees for some less-common activities. Because fees are so important to your investment results, choosing this nearly fee-free account could be a wise decision. The standout feature, which applies to traditional IRA accounts and all others, is the company’s unique portfolio management system. Whether you pick an expert-designed portfolio or want to customize and build your own, portfolios are represented as “Pies,” displayed as a pie chart in your investment account. You can adjust your allocation any way you choose, and M1 automatically works to keep your account balanced to that target allocation in the future. Each Pie can hold up to 100 unique investments, or “slices,” including stocks and ETFs. You can choose from more than 80 Expert Pies or build a pie of
your own, with no fees in either case. M1 also offers banking, credit cards, and loans, making it a potential one-stop shop for your money. Betterment
Pros
Cons
Why We Chose It Betterment is a pioneer in robo-advising, paving the way for the modern automated-portfolio industry we know today. The core service, which applies to traditional IRA accounts and others, is the Digital account, a fully automated investment management account with a flat 0.25% annual fee. It’s easy to use and includes options to focus on socially responsible investments, among other options. The Digital product is straightforward to use, though Betterment also offers a product through which you get unlimited access to a team of financial advisors, which requires a 0.40% annual fee. This is competitively priced compared with similar competitor products but is still more than many investors may want to spend on investment management. Betterment also offers banking and a range of investment account types. If you want an investment account that you can set up and mostly forget about, Betterment is ideal for your needs. Final VerdictAn IRA may play an important role in saving and investing for your retirement. While your golden years may seem far away, starting to take advantage of the tax benefits of an IRA could be vital to your retirement plans. Also, consider Roth IRAs and other options to save and invest for your future that enable tax savings. Compare the Best IRA Accounts
How Does a Traditional IRA Work?A traditional IRA is an investment account that helps you save on taxes when investing for the future. Contributions to a traditional IRA are tax-deductible in the year you make the contribution, which lowers your taxable income in the year of your contribution. The more you contribute this year, the lower your taxes would be this year, up to annual limits. When you make qualified withdrawals in the future, those withdrawals are taxed as regular income. However, most people plan to earn less in retirement than during their working years, so it's likely they will withdraw in the future at a lower tax rate. Early withdrawals are subject to taxes and penalties, so it’s best to avoid taking funds out of an IRA outside of retirement. How Much Can I Contribute to an IRA Per Year?Traditional IRA contributions are limited, based on IRS rules. Most Americans can save up to $6,000 per year in an IRA, depending on their taxable income. If you’re 50 or older, you can contribute an additional $1,000 per year, or $7,000 total. The contribution limit can change annually, though the IRS has held the same rates since 2019. From 2013 to 2018, for example, the limit was $5,500 per year or $6,500 for those 50 and older. Traditional IRA vs. Roth IRA
When looking at retirement accounts, it’s also wise to consider the Roth IRA. Roth IRA accounts also have tax benefits for retirement, but deliver them a bit differently. Unlike the pretax contributions of traditional IRAs, a Roth IRA contribution is made with after-tax dollars. That means you have to pay regular taxes on it as income the year of your contribution. However, qualified withdrawals in the future are tax-free. Depending on your time horizon before retirement, the ability to invest with no taxes on your investment gains could be more valuable than a tax deduction just for this year. When in doubt, do the math to see which makes sense for you, or consult with a trusted financial professional. How Should You Choose the Best IRA Account?When choosing the best IRA account for you, it’s important to focus on fees and costs first, as even small percentages can remove a big chunk of your retirement account over time. Accounts with low fees, or even better, no fees, are ideal for long-term investment returns. Also, consider the investments available and the type of advice and assistance you want and need when managing your money. Some investors want to pick every investment and build a portfolio independently, while others prefer the recommendations of an advisor or want to hand everything over to someone else to figure out. Knowing your investment preferences and goals can help you find the right investment brokerage for your unique needs. MethodologyWe are dedicated to providing readers with unbiased, comprehensive reviews and ratings of online brokers. Our reviews are the result of months of evaluating all aspects of an online broker’s platform, including the user experience, the quality of trade executions, the products available on its platforms, costs, and fees, security, the mobile experience, and customer service. A rating scale was established based on these criteria, collecting thousands of data points that were weighed into a scoring system. Correction - Oct. 17, 2022: This article has been updated to correct the year that the annual limit for IRA contributions became $5,500. Should I open an IRA with my bank?Bank IRAs are ultra-safe investments. If you open one at a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-accredited institution, the funds you save in an IRA savings account or IRA CD receive deposit insurance up to the legal limit. Even if the bank were to fail, you wouldn't lose the funds saved in your IRA.
Which investment firm has the best IRA?NerdWallet's Best IRA Accounts of November 2022. Charles Schwab IRA: Best for Hands-On Investors.. TD Ameritrade IRA: Best for Hands-On Investors.. Ally Invest IRA: Best for Hands-On Investors.. Schwab Intelligent Portfolios®: Best for Hands-Off Investors.. Fidelity Go: Best for Hands-Off Investors.. Which is best place to open an IRA?Best IRA accounts to open in November 2022. Fidelity Investments.. Vanguard.. Betterment.. Interactive Brokers.. Schwab Intelligent Portfolios.. Merrill Edge.. Fundrise.. E-Trade.. What is a good company to open a Roth IRA with?Best Roth IRA accounts to open in November 2022:
Charles Schwab. Wealthfront. Betterment. Fidelity Investments.
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