IRA Foundations: Traditional and Roth IRAs
What an IRA is, how a Traditional and a Roth differ in practice, and which questions decide how each one behaves for you.
28 min4 lessons
IRA XRay Learning
Twelve original courses on contributions, costs, distributions, Roth conversions and retiring outside the United States. Educational only.
The first lesson of every free course is open to read right now. Create a free account to open the rest, keep your place and take the short course quizzes.
Five tracks, in the order most people find useful. You can take them in any order.
1. IRA Foundations
2 courses · 0 complete on this device
See this track2. Investing and Costs
2 courses · 0 complete on this device
See this track3. Moving and Withdrawing Money
2 courses · 0 complete on this device
See this track4. Advanced Planning
3 courses · 0 complete on this device
See this track5. Retiring Abroad
3 courses · 0 complete on this device
See this trackRetiring Abroad track. Living outside the United States adds rules that depend on your citizenship, residence, the specific country and the treaty in force. This track is written to help you work out what to research and who to ask. It does not state what any country will tax, withhold or allow in your case.
5 courses shown.
What an IRA is, how a Traditional and a Roth differ in practice, and which questions decide how each one behaves for you.
28 min4 lessons
How time horizon and tolerance for loss shape an educational target mix, and how to read the difference between that target and what you hold.
29 min4 lessons
How money moves between retirement accounts, why a direct transfer is usually the simplest route, and what makes an indirect rollover risky.
28 min4 lessons
What a conversion is mechanically, which figures decide whether it is worth analysing, and the side effects that surprise people.
33 min4 lessonsPremium
What changes and what does not when a U.S. citizen or resident holds an IRA while living overseas, and the questions to research before moving.
31 min4 lessonsPremium
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Educational information only. IRA XRay does not provide individualized investment, tax or legal advice, and nothing here is a recommendation. Contribution limits, income thresholds, distribution ages, tax rates and treaty terms change, so confirm current rules with the IRS, the Social Security Administration, Medicare or a qualified professional before you act.