I Lost $400k of My Retirement Savings in a Roth 401k
I Lost $400k of My Retirement Savings in a Roth 401k
Nicole Spector Wed, May 31, 2023
I Lost $400k of My Retirement Savings in a Roth 401k — and If You’re Not Careful, You Could Too
Finance and retirement planning experts are usually quick to recommend that one set money aside in a Roth account. And it looks like the vast majority of Americans agree with them.
A new survey hosted by Derek Sall, a personal finance expert and the founder of LifeAndMyFinances, found that 92% of Americans think they should be investing in a Roth IRA. Sall wasn’t surprised by just how many people are of the belief that Roths are a financial must-have.
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“I estimated that 95% of people would say they should invest in a Roth (I wasn’t too far off!),” Sall told GOBankingRates. “But why? Why did I think the percentage would be so high? Simple. It’s what I’ve heard all my life — from every smart investor, from every influencer.
Even Dave Ramsey himself tells his millions of listeners to invest in a Roth. ‘It’s tax-free growth,’ they say. ‘You’ll have tax-free money in retirement,’ is another common one, [and] ‘taxes will likely go up in the future, so it’s smart to invest in a Roth now.'”
It all sounds so wise and the insight comes from wise people in the realm of personal finance. But in Sall’s opinion, this is horrible advice. Speaking to his own personal experience, he estimated a $400,000 loss of retirement income by having invested in a Roth IRA versus a traditional 401(k). What exactly did he discover?
The Tax Rate You Have Now Likely Won’t Be the Same in Retirement
The root of the problem, as Sall sees it, is that people assume that if they’re paying 22% tax on the money that’s going toward a Roth today, they’ll likely owe at least 22% tax on other income in retirement. But that’s perhaps not how it will pan out.
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https://finance.yahoo.com/news/lost-400k-retirement-savings-roth-174006044.html