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Starting a Roth IRA for a Teen

Want to give your child or grandchild a financial head start? A Roth IRA might be a choice to consider. Read on to learn more about how doing this may benefit both of you.

Rules for setting up a Roth IRA. If your teen has an earned income, you may be able to set up a Roth IRA for them. For example, if your 15-year-old has earned $6,000 at a summer job, you can set up an account for them up to $6,000 (the maximum annual Roth IRA contribution). The amount cannot exceed the teen’s income. Keep in mind that money that you contribute to the Roth IRA can count as a gift within your $15,000 yearly gift tax exclusion ($30,000 for a married couple).1

Looking ahead to the future. If money is withdrawn from a Roth IRA before age 59½, a 10% federal tax penalty may apply. There is, however, a notable exception. Up to $10,000 of investment earnings can be taken out of a Roth IRA at any time if the money is used to buy a first home. In this instance, the IRS may waive the early withdrawal penalty. Should your teenager become a parent someday, a portion of those Roth IRA assets might also be utilized to pay college tuition costs for themself or their child.2,3

This article is for informational purposes only. It’s not a replacement for real-life advice, so make sure to consult your tax professional before implementing or modifying any Roth IRA strategy. Tax-free and penalty-free withdrawal also can be taken under circumstances other than first-home purchases, such as the owner’s death. The original Roth owner is not required to take minimum annual withdrawals. Generally, to qualify for the tax-free and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings, a Roth IRA must meet a five-year holding requirement and the distribution occur after the owner reaches age 59½.

Greater earning potential, thanks to the magic of compound interest. Setting up a Roth IRA for a teenager is a great way to introduce them to basic financial concepts, such as compound interest. Giving your teen a hands-on learning experience may help them understand the value of saving for the future. You may also be facilitating the development of your children’s or grandchildren’s financial habits.

There are a few things to consider when setting up a custodial Roth IRA. Setting up a Roth IRA for a minor is often referred to as a custodial IRA. Until the child is able to take it over, you act as the custodian of the account. Individual state laws determine when the minor child is able to take over management of the Roth IRA for themselves.

A tax professional can provide guidance that may help ensure that you and your minor child are following all federal and state regulations.

To learn more about CapSouth Wealth Management, visit our website at www.CapSouthWM.com or learn more about our services www.capsouthwm.com/services/

1. Investopedia.com, March 19, 2021
2. Internal Revenue Service, January 19, 2021
3. Internal Revenue Service, March 8, 2021

Investment advisory services are offered through CapSouth Partners, Inc., dba CapSouth Wealth Management, an independent registered Investment Advisory firm. Information provided by sources deemed to be reliable.  CapSouth does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information.  This material has been prepared for planning purposes only and is not intended as specific tax or legal advice.  Tax and legal laws are often complex and frequently change.  Please consult your tax or legal advisor to discuss your specific situation before making any decisions that may have tax or legal consequences.

This article contains external links to third party content (content hosted on sites unaffiliated with CapSouth Partners). The policies and procedures governing these third-party sites may differ from those effective on the CapSouth company website, as outlined in these Disclaimers. As such, CapSouth makes no representations whatsoever regarding any third-party content/sites that may be accessible directly or indirectly from the CapSouth website. Linking to these third-party sites in no way implies an endorsement or affiliation of any kind between CapSouth and any third party, including legal authorization to use any trademark, trade name, logo, or copyrighted materials belonging to either entity.

Save Early & Let Time Work for You

As a young investor, you have a powerful ally on your side: time. When you start investing and saving in your twenties or thirties for retirement, you can put it to work for you.

The power of compounding. Many people underestimate it, so it is worth illustrating. Let’s take a look using a hypothetical 5% rate of return.

How does it work? A simplified example goes like this: Let’s assume a hypothetical 5% rate of return on a principal of $100. After a year, you earn 5% interest, or $5. Another year, another 5%, which adds $5.25 this time. In the third year, your 5% interest earned amounts to $5.51, bringing your balance to $115.76. The more money you deposit, the greater that 5% returns. Let’s look at another hypothetical example. If you were to start with a $1,000 principal in an account that earns 5% interest per year, and contribute $1,000 a year to the account, you would end up with a total of $7,078.20 after five years. That’s a total of $1,078.20 earned in compound interest from $6,000 in contributions. That compounding continues, even if you stop making deposits. All you really need to do is let that money stay put.1

The earlier you start, the greater the compounding potential. If you’re investing for retirement in your twenties, you may gain an advantage over someone who waits to invest until his or her thirties.

Even if you start early & then stop, you may be in a better position than those who begin later. What if you contribute $5,000 to a retirement account yearly starting at age 25 and then stop at age 35 – with no new money going into the account for the next 30 years. That is hardly ideal. Yet, should it happen, you still might come out ahead of someone who begins saving for retirement later.

To learn more about CapSouth Wealth Management, visit our website at www.CapSouthWM.com or www.capsouthwm.com/services/investment-wealth-management/

1. This is a hypothetical example used for illustrative purposes only. It is not representative of any specific investment or combination of investments.

Investment advisory services are offered through CapSouth Partners, Inc., dba CapSouth Wealth Management, an independent registered Investment Advisory firm. Information provided by sources deemed to be reliable.  CapSouth does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information.  This material has been prepared for planning purposes only and is not intended as specific tax or legal advice.  Tax and legal laws are often complex and frequently change.  Please consult your tax or legal advisor to discuss your specific situation before making any decisions that may have tax or legal consequences.

This article contains external links to third party content (content hosted on sites unaffiliated with CapSouth Partners). The policies and procedures governing these third-party sites may differ from those effective on the CapSouth company website, as outlined in these Disclaimers. As such, CapSouth makes no representations whatsoever regarding any third-party content/sites that may be accessible directly or indirectly from the CapSouth website. Linking to these third-party sites in no way implies an endorsement or affiliation of any kind between CapSouth and any third party, including legal authorization to use any trademark, trade name, logo, or copyrighted materials belonging to either entity.

Ready for your Portfolio to Make a Difference?

Interest in making an impact with one’s investments has grown in recent years, which means many investors may have an increased interest in environmentally or socially focused investments as well. In fact, impact investments account for $502 billion of managed investments worldwide, with 58% held in North America. Curious to learn more about impact investing? Read on.1

What Are Impact Investments?

Impact investments are made with a measurable or tangible goal for social change in mind. From there, the criteria may differ depending on your own values and focuses. For example, you may choose to invest in a company that commits to planting a certain number of trees per year or another organization that provides resources to school districts in low-income communities.

You may hear other phrases used in conjunction with impact investing, such as socially responsible investing (SRI) or environmental, social, and governance investing (ESG). These investment models follow more specific criteria and guidelines such as ethical business practices, environmental conservation, and local community impact.2

Impact Investments, SRI and ESG investments have certain risks based on the fact that the criteria exclude securities of certain issuers for non-financial reasons and, therefore, investors may forgo some market opportunities and the universe of investments available will be smaller.

Setting Expectations

Making a difference in the world is only one consideration with impact investing. In a 2020 survey of impact investors, 88% indicated that the financial performance of their investments was either in line with or outperformed their expectations.3

Tips For Impact Investing

Here are a few concepts to keep in mind with Impact Investing:

  • Your values: What specific areas of impact are you hoping to make with your investments? Are you focused on sustainability, social justice, your religion, or another area? Deciding what you’re looking to accomplish can help narrow your focus.
  • Types of investments: There are a variety of investments that are structured to help pursue your goals when it comes to Impact Investing. As you define your values, the types of investments may become clearer.
  • Impact reports: Impact reports are designed to provide information that breaks down how the company is making a difference and what measurable goals they’re following. Impact reports are one factor to consider as you evaluate opportunities.

Impact investing can help keep your investments aligned with your personal beliefs. As you consider whether this choice may be appropriate for you, don’t hesitate to reach out. We may be able to provide some information or identify some resources that you may find insightful.

To learn more about CapSouth Wealth Management visit our website at www.capsouthwm.com or www.capsouthwm.com/services/financial-estate-planning/

1. TheGIIN.org, April 2019
2. CFAinstitute.org, April 2021
3. TheGIIN.org, 2020

Investment advisory services are offered through CapSouth Partners, Inc., dba CapSouth Wealth Management, an independent registered Investment Advisory firm. Information provided by sources deemed to be reliable.  CapSouth does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information.  This material has been prepared for planning purposes only and is not intended as specific tax or legal advice.  Tax and legal laws are often complex and frequently change.  Please consult your tax or legal advisor to discuss your specific situation before making any decisions that may have tax or legal consequences.

This article contains external links to third party content (content hosted on sites unaffiliated with CapSouth Partners). The policies and procedures governing these third-party sites may differ from those effective on the CapSouth company website, as outlined in these Disclaimers. As such, CapSouth makes no representations whatsoever regarding any third-party content/sites that may be accessible directly or indirectly from the CapSouth website. Linking to these third-party sites in no way implies an endorsement or affiliation of any kind between CapSouth and any third party, including legal authorization to use any trademark, trade name, logo, or copyrighted materials belonging to either entity.

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