Roth IRAs: A real 'fiscal Frankenstein' (LIBERALS ARE COMING FOR YOUR RETIREMENT SAVINGS)

Los Angeles Times ^ | April 10, 2011 | Gerald E Scorse

[WeatherGuy]

The day after Congress passed the new healthcare law, an opponent called it "a fiscal Frankenstein." In fact, those are fitting words for Roth individual retirement accounts, or IRAs. Roths drive up the federal deficit and cause other pain. They're great for holders but grim for America. It's time to retire them.

In a Roth, taxes are treated the other way around. There's no tax break on contributions. But from that point on, taxes simply vanish. As long as the account is at least 5 years old, there is no tax on any withdrawals made after age 59 1/2. There's no requirement that you make a minimum withdrawal — after age 70 1/2, or ever.

All of which makes Roths a perfect "fiscal Frankenstein." In return for little more than ordinary upfront taxes, Congress waived untold billions in future Treasury receipts. Then, too, Roths could be a drag on the U.S. economy. Since no withdrawals are required, assets can lie idle indefinitely.

For Roth holders, the accounts become a permanent, federally sanctioned tax shelter. For America, they're a bit like toxic instruments on the nation's books. Worse, Congress has them on steroids, and President Obama wants to up the dosage.

[tflabo]

The $$ contributed to a Roth IRA was already taxed up front before investing. The Federal Govt. should encourage savings since the citizens NEED to save for their own retirements. They’ve taxed us with SS and now they bankrupted that Ponzi scheme long ago. Screw them and keep their greedy, filthy ‘Rat paws off our personal investments where we applied the disciplines and should reap the rewards without the greedy beast in DC stealing even more.

[Cacique]

They need a destitute people to rule over. They nationalized pensions in Argentina, they spent it the next day.

[OldMissileer]

I have never had an IRA of any kind and I only have 401Ks that my employer contributes to without any contribution from myself (my current employer).

I always told people that someday the politicians would try to confiscate the money because they “gave” tax breaks and thus would say it is unfair to have those accounts.

These worthless excuses for Human Beings (the politicians) keep couching taxation topics in the terms of how it “costs” the Government money! HOW DARE THEY! It does not "cost" Government anything. They take it from us.

The money is ours, we earned it, it is our property, and the Government is not supposed to be in the business of stealing, read taxing, everything we have or everything we do and we have let them get away with doing so and also framing the argument.

This crap MUST STOP!

[jdsteel]

I’ve always had a suspicion that th looters would come for ROTH IRAs.

[PGR88]

The best IRA is to get money out of the United States.

[campaignPete R-CT]

what a piece of garbage newspaper article in the LA Times

The money is invested in the economy, so it is doing plenty for the economy. Like job creation.

[Trajan88]

My thinking is that the Feds won't touch the tax free withdrawals at retirement; however, they will mega tax things retirement folks procure (that and inflation will be brutal).

If things don't change soon, it ain't going to be pretty here in the U.S. of A.

[detective]

The reason why Congress put IRA’s and Roth IRA’s into effect was because they knew that the government was bankrupting the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for the government social programs starting in the 1960’s. They did not want elderly people to starve to death when social security became insolvent and they wanted to encourage savings to help facilitate investment in the economy.

The problems is not that people who struggle to save money do not have enough of their money confiscated. The problem is that the parasites in the government and have an insatiable appetite for other peoples money and see hard working Americans as saps and want to take as much as possible from them.

[Borax Queen]

How dare they, how &U%(#&%*(#&%*( dare they write this collectivist spew. The country has fallen to Communism, just as my parents’ country did, without one shot being fired.

[Nip]

The problem with both the IRA and Roth IRA is the money in those accounts are individually owned and there is an established track record showing who earned the initial investment, how they earned it, and how the investments were managed.

To be seized - well stolen is a more accurate term - by the Federal Government is an unconstitutional act. But, when has that ever bothered a liberal/progressive/socialist/dimocrat acting “in the best interest of the nation”?

We, the People, have stood still for many things including, in all probability, means testing for social security. But out right theft of personal funds without any pretext of criminal activity? That's a line that no politician, no matter how ideologically blind, should ever contemplate. Beyond that line live tigers and dragons.

[Varsity Flight]

***** great for holders but grim for America ****

Two kinds of “America”, one for those who believe in private property, the other Communo-Fascists.

[MediaMole]

What an ignorant article. Roth money isn’t in a mattress, it’s actively invested or in a bank where the money is used for loans.

This author acts like investment money is money lost to the economy.

[andyk]

I really tried to understand the author’s argument, but I just don’t get it. People have already paid taxes on the contributions, right?

[The Truth Will Make You Free]

Here's why they hate Roth IRAs -- they alone can avoid the double "taxation" causes by inflation. Here's why: Other assets that appreciate will require that capital tax be paid even if that capital gain is entirely due to price inflation. The pity is that the annual Roth IRA contribution is so small.

[PA Engineer]

The best IRA is to get money out of the United States.

Ditto. They are already taxing it with QE1 and QE2. Probably best to get out of the dollar for now.

[Renegade]

Touch mine and shots WILL be fired.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I did very little Roth first because my taxes are pretty high now anyway, and second because I figured that eventually they’d tax them for “high earners”. At least with traditional IRAs, I already GOT my tax break.

[chopperman]

Last year I transferred all of my Traditional IRA savings into a Roth. There was a provision, for that year only, that allowed delaying the payment of tax. I put it all in Silver and Gold ETF’s. I know they’ll want to come after the IRA’s, but this is my only way I can protect my savings from what I know what Obama is doing to the dollar.

[The_Media_never_lie]

I am not going on record as saying what I would or would not do, but the results would not be pretty.