I currently max out my 401k (believe this year is $15k). Can I also (outside of work) put money into a roth? Somewhere I read that you can only invest the max. ie I could invest $3k in a roth only if I dropped my 401k down to 12k. Someone help me out here. Thanks!
What is max investment?
Sep 22, 2006
2 Replies
If you are under 50 by the end of this year;
401k max is $15,000, and the Roth phaseout begins at $95K single, $150K married (AGI). Roth max is $4,000 this year.If you are 50 or over by the end of this year;
401k max is $20,000, and the Roth phaseout (still) begins at $95K single, $150K married (AGI). Roth max is $5,000 this year.The deduction for the 401k can actually help keep you under the phaseout limit for the Roth. Excellent that you are trying to max them both out. JOE
When you start exceeding the limits of a combined IRA/401K (19K or 25K depending on your age) you might consider other tax-advantaged investments than salary-defferal. Putting all you baskets in one tax program could not be optimal, especially over a 50-year lifetime of the these investments where the tax laws change every 5-10 years. For example 401K investments are taxed at earned income rates, which are approximately double that of long term capital gains.
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