IRA Calculator
Compare a pre-tax Traditional/SEP/SIMPLE IRA against a Roth IRA and an ordinary taxable account, all growing to your retirement age. The results are converted to after-tax values so you can see which wrapper actually leaves you with more.
TheCalculators — IRA Calculator
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Best After-Tax Outcome
$906,392
Traditional/SEP/SIMPLE IRA wins after 35 years at 6.00% — Traditional nets $906,392, Roth $857,403, taxable $598,439
- Traditional (after-tax)
- $906,392
- Roth (after-tax)
- $857,403
- Taxable Savings
- $598,439
- Roth Advantage vs Taxable
- $258,964
- Traditional Advantage vs Roth
- $48,989
After-tax balances at age 65
Comparison
Traditional balances are taxed at your retirement rate on withdrawal; Roth contributions were taxed today and come out tax-free. Taxable growth is modeled as returns taxed annually at your current marginal rate.
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Formula
Traditional after-tax = FV × (1 − retirement tax); Roth = FV of after-tax contributions; Taxable compounds at r × (1 − current tax)
Pro tips
- • If your retirement tax rate is lower than today's, Traditional usually wins; if higher, Roth often does.
- • Roth IRAs have no required minimum distributions, which can matter for estate planning.
FAQ
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