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The $11,000 will remain in the plan, and continue to grow on a tax-free basis. Obviously, if you withdraw from the plan, you will not reach that $680,000 number, unless you start contributing more. You should explore all other options before distributing funds from the Roth.
If you’re feeling generous, the IRS says you can also put this money toward the first-time home purchase of your child, grandchild or parents. The only things you cannot invest in with an IRA, as per the IRS, are collectibles, life insurance, and any transaction that involves a disqualified person, or other prohibited transaction. Essentially, so long as the plan is the only entity that is benefiting from the IRA investment, you are good. For example, you cannot buy a vacation property with a Roth IRA and then stay there yourself. Younger folks obviously don't have to worry about the five-year rule. But if you open your first Roth IRA at age 63, try to wait until you're 68 or older to withdraw any earnings.
Here’s what to consider before using your retirement savings
However, unlike the other options we’ve mentioned above, you can’t actually live in the home. If you have a Roth IRA, you may be able to use the money in it to pay for your home without relying on the IRS’s first-time homebuyer exception. Because your Roth IRA contributions have already been taxed, the IRS allows you to withdraw them tax-free and penalty-free at any time once the account has been opened for at least five years.
But tapping into your retirement savings for any reason can have real consequences down the road. Be sure to look at all of your financial options before you make a decision about applying Roth funds to a home purchase. Roth IRAs are designed to follow a “first in, first out” model. All distributions are treated as a contribution until withdrawn. For example, if you had contributed $5,000 per year for five years, you could withdraw up to $25,000 in Year 6 tax- and penalty-free.
Should You Use a Roth IRA to Buy a Home?
Taking out an early hardship distribution, or emergency withdrawal of funds, from a 401 can mean paying taxes as well as the 10% penalty on the amount withdrawn. Reverse Mortgage - Contents not provided by, or approved by FHA, HUD or any other government agency. If you meet both of these qualifications, you can withdraw up to $10,000 for costs related to purchasing a home, such as a down payment or closing costs, with no additional taxes or penalties. If you only meet the first-time homebuyer qualification, you can still withdraw up to $10,000.

Meet these stipulations, and your Roth IRA withdrawal is tax-free and penalty-free. Just keep in mind that all withdrawals must following the Roth IRA ordering rules for withdrawals, and that means original contributions come out first. And since, your original contributions can be withdrawn at any time tax-free and penalty-free, you may not even need to take advantage of this exemption.
How Much Can You Withdraw?
However, because traditional IRA withdrawals are taxable, no five-year rule applies. To avoid paying for private mortgage insurance , one must have a down payment of 20% or more of the purchase price. The credit score of the buyer will have an impact on the interest rate on their mortgage. Using one’s own money may mean borrowing less for a down payment, and avoiding a PMI payment. A Roth IRA can be considered a type of savings account for this purpose if all other qualifications noted above are met.

Earnings from a Roth IRA are eligible for withdrawal with no taxes or penalties once the account holder turns 59½ and the assets have been in the account for at least five years. Withdrawals of earnings not meeting both of these criteria are subject to tax and penalties. You can withdraw the contributions you’ve made to your Roth IRA at any time, for any reason. There is no tax or penalty, no matter how you spend the money or when you take the distribution. In the video above, IRA Financial’s Adam Bergman gives a great example of how saving just a few dollars a day can add up. If you start saving just $3 per day at age 22, and earn an 8% rate of return, your Roth IRA will be worth over $680,000 by the time you reach age 72.
What Is A Roth IRA?
While Roth IRAs are designed primarily for retirement savings, you can also withdraw up to $10,000 of your account’s earnings for a first-time home purchase. You can also use that money to build or rebuild a first home. Note that the IRS will consider you a first-time homebuyer if you and your spouse haven’t owned a home that you use as your main residence in the past two years. While contributions can be withdrawn tax- and penalty-free at any time, earnings can’t. As long as the Roth account is at least 5 years old and you are 59 ½ or older, any withdrawals from a Roth account are considered qualified distributions. In most cases, you can’t withdraw money from your tax-advantaged retirement accounts without penalty until you turn age 59 ½.

However, to make contributions at all, your modified adjusted gross income can't be above a set amount. To contribute the maximum, the income cap is $125,000 if your tax filing status is single, and $198,000 for married couples who file jointly. Above those income amounts, the contribution limit is reduced until completely phasing out at income of $140,000 for single tax filers and $208,000 for joint filers.
Additionally, if you meet certain requirements, up to $10,000 in earnings can be used toward the purchase of a home without taxes or penalties. You are allowed to take a withdrawal from your IRA account to make a first-time home purchase. You can withdraw up to $10,000 over your lifetime from a traditional IRA to purchase a home, without penalty. However, you need to pay the taxes on this money as regular income.
As with traditional IRAs, plan participants over the age of 59½ can withdraw money for any purpose, though it would be taxed as ordinary income. Under the age of 59½, the participant can apply for a hardship withdrawal, which must be approved by the plan sponsor. Hardship withdrawals, if approved, are subject to taxes but not penalties. Lastly, if you chose the Roth IRA route, you can always self-direct the plan. This means you can invest in virtually anything you want with your retirement funds. As explained earlier, your direct Roth IRA contributions can be withdrawn tax- and penalty-free.