If your child is earning money, here’s why they might want a Roth IRA

Among the things you worry about when it comes to your kids (sleep, schoolwork, staying out of trouble), retirement probably doesn’t make the list. But there are a few good reasons to consider opening a Roth IRA for your child.

As long as your child has earned income, even from dog-walking or babysitting, opening a custodial Roth IRA can be a terrific way to super-charge their savings, and possibly give them an added cushion many years from now.

What’s the advantage of opening a Roth IRA for a child?

The primary financial advantage for your child is the power of time and compounding. Given that standard savings accounts typically pay less than 1% interest, depositing money in a savings account isn’t going to yield much over time.

With an IRA, which is held at a brokerage firm (or your bank’s brokerage arm), you and your child have the option of investing that money with an eye toward long-term growth.

When you set up your first retirement account, you were probably looking at 30 to 40 years of growth. A child with earned income—say a tween or a teen—is looking at 50 to 60 years of compound growth. That means even a one-time deposit of, say, $5,000 could grow to about $165,000 in 60 years, assuming a 6% rate of return.

How does a Roth IRA for kids work?

Roth IRAs are tax-advantaged accounts that offer a remarkable benefit: You deposit after-tax earnings, which grow tax free over time, and you generally don’t owe any tax on the withdrawals.

Adults have to consider income restrictions when it comes to funding a Roth IRA, but most kids don’t have an issue. The income cap for adults who are single is $138,000 for 2023, and kids rarely earn anywhere near that much. This presents an opportunity.

The money most kids earn generally falls into a very low or zero-tax bracket. That means they can deposit almost all the cash they earn in a Roth IRA, and withdraw it in years to come—tax free. A couple items of note:

• Restrictions on Roth IRA withdrawals. True, you’re asking your child to wait patiently until they turn 59 1/2 before they can withdraw all of their savings. But Roth IRAs are more flexible than traditional IRAs because you can withdraw your contributions (meaning, the original deposits) tax free and penalty free at any time. If your child withdraws any earnings before age 59 1/2, though, they could owe taxes and a penalty, except in certain cases.
• Exceptions for certain withdrawals. Luckily, Roth IRAs are also flexible in this respect. Your child can withdraw earnings before age 59 1/2 for qualified educational expenses, such as college tuition, without paying a penalty (although they’d pay taxes on any earnings). And after they’ve held the account for at least five years, your child can withdraw up to $10,000 in earnings to help pay for a first-time home purchase without paying the penalty.

How does a child open a Roth IRA?

If your child is a minor, you would need to open a custodial account for them. If you have an established brokerage relationship with a major bank, they’ll likely allow you to set up a custodial subaccount in your child’s name.

Alternatively, you could use a broker. Not all brokerages offer custodial IRAs for minors, but Fidelity, Charles Schwab, and Vanguard are among those that do. As the custodian, you would oversee and manage the account on your child’s behalf until they reach adulthood.

The setup process is fairly simple and takes about 20 to 30 minutes. You generally need just your name and Social Security number and the same for your child.

Contribution limits for a custodial Roth IRA

The usual contribution limits apply to a custodial Roth IRA account: For 2023, your child can contribute up to $6,500 per year, as long as they have at least that much earned income. In other words, the amount they contribute cannot exceed the amount they earned.

So if your child had a summer job at the local camp and earned $1,000, and they also got $500 in birthday and holiday checks from family, they could only contribute the $1,000 they earned.

Keeping track of your child’s income

Earnings don’t have to be documented on a 1099. If your child mowed lawns or assisted an elderly neighbor and got paid, they can contribute that amount to a Roth IRA. Some people recommend keeping track of what your child earns throughout the year in a notebook or spreadsheet, especially if they juggle a range of odd jobs.

The downside of opening a Roth IRA for your kid

If your child contributes some or all of their earnings to a Roth IRA, that does mean they’ll have less cash immediately available for spending on other wants or needs. And if you (or they) opt to invest the money, there is always the risk of loss.

Investment losses do occur, but because your youngster has a nice long timeline ahead of them, it’s likely their portfolio can bounce back and outpace low-yielding savings accounts.

The bottom line

Assuming your child has a bit of earned income, setting up a Roth IRA so they can make regular contributions as they grow up seems like a win-win.

Custodial Roth IRAs are pretty easy to create, and they open the door to important financial conversations about savings, investing, and compounding growth.