The Roth IRA Rules That Trip People Up
Timing, income limits, backdoor contributions, and the new 529 rollover, explained plainly.
Understand the four rules that govern every Roth IRA contribution, and trace exactly which ones apply to a direct contribution, a backdoor conversion or a 529 rollover, including where each one commonly goes wrong.
Not sure yet? Read the free version first.
What’s inside
- The four gates: earned income, timing, income limits, pro-rata
- What counts as earned income, and the surprising exclusions
- Contributing before you've earned it, and how excess contributions unwind
- The two deadlines people confuse, and why it matters
- The backdoor Roth, step by step, and the Form 8606 paperwork
- The pro-rata trap that catches backdoor conversions
- The new 529-to-Roth rollover and its real conditions
- Eight recurring mistakes, and how to correct each
Who it’s for
A financially comfortable, non-expert US saver who already has or wants a Roth IRA and keeps hitting the fine print, and wants to understand the mechanics well enough to ask their accountant the right questions.
Important: This guide is general educational information, not personalised financial, tax or legal advice, and does not account for your individual circumstances. Rules, rates and thresholds change. Before acting, confirm the current position and consult a suitably qualified professional.