With retirement accounts such as Roth IRAs, most investors aim to invest and hold positions for the long term so contributions and earnings can compound over time. These accounts are designed for buy-and-hold investing. However, some investors use more active trading strategies in their Roth IRAs. Learn more about how Roth IRA trading works, the pros and cons, and if it’s right for you.
How Roth IRA Trading Works
Roth IRAs offer the opportunity for account holders to invest in many asset types, including mutual funds, stocks, ETFs, bonds, and even more complicated transactions such as trading options. As of 2022, you can contribute up to $6,000 to a Roth IRA each year ($7,000 if you are age 50 or older). Here is some key terminology to know when learning about Roth IRA trading:
Trade: Placing any type of buy or sell order in a brokerage account. Anytime you decide to invest in a new mutual fund or dump a stock that isn’t performing well, for example, is considered a trade.Active trading: More frequent trading to try to time the market and increase gains rapidly.Day trading: An aggressive trading strategy, day trading refers to when people regularly make multiple trades in one day.Options: The right to buy or sell a stock for a set price by a future date.
Roth IRAs are designed to be long-term investment vehicles, which is why the majority of account holders use a more conservative “stay the course” approach, letting their holdings grow and compound over time. More-aggressive styles of investing come with much greater risk, so financial advisors don’t generally recommend using them within a Roth IRA, which is designed for retirement funds.
Common Roth IRA Investments
A Roth IRA does not have many investing limitations, and financial advisors recommend increasing diversity to minimize risk while monitoring your asset allocation. Common investments may include stocks, index funds, target-date funds, and bonds. That said, when making Roth IRA investment choices, you may want to look for assets that let you leverage the tax-free nature of the account. This can include the following:
High-Growth Stocks
High-growth stocks are stocks that have above-average earnings, allowing investors to potentially earn larger returns. They also tend to be riskier. Choosing high-growth stocks for your Roth IRA may make sense because if they perform well, you won’t have to pay capital gains taxes on the earnings.
Dividend-Paying Stocks
Stocks that pay dividends are attractive to many investors, and they can be valuable assets in a Roth IRA. In other types of accounts, dividends are considered taxable income, but in a Roth IRA, your earnings from dividend-paying stocks are tax-free.
REITs
REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) are also good investments for Roth IRAs. They are designed for people who want to invest in real estate without actually buying physical property.
ETFs
ETFs, or exchange-traded funds, can help you diversify your portfolio by offering a selection of stocks, bonds, and securities mirrored on a particular market index. In other words, you get to invest in big-name companies or in a particular industry in a less expensive way than buying individual stocks. ETFs are similar to mutual funds, but they trade more like stocks since their market prices change throughout the trading day. While there are different types of ETFs, choosing growth, dividend, or income funds for your Roth will let you maximize the tax-free benefits.
Pros and Cons of Actively Trading in a Roth IRA
Pros Explained
You don’t have to pay taxes: You invest after-tax dollars into a Roth IRA, so you don’t have to worry about paying any type of tax going forward. That means there is no capital gains tax, and you’ll avoid taxes when you make qualified Roth IRA withdrawals. You can potentially improve returns: Although buy-and-hold investing is a reliable strategy, it’s always wise to revisit your asset allocation and diversify your portfolio on occasion with new trades. You might, for example, want to buy during a down market to earn gains later, or sell an underperforming asset.
Cons Explained
No access to margin trading: Serious traders often use margin trading, meaning they can borrow money from the brokerage firm to make purchases. That option is not available within Roth IRAs. Instead, you’ll have a limited margin basis, which, on the positive side, limits your risk since you won’t be able to borrow against your holdings. Losses can’t be deducted: Trading losses can be written off on your tax returns, but not when those losses happen in an IRA account. Active trading and trade options are complex: You have to have a lot of knowledge and time to research potential assets to be successful at trading. Even then, because the market is unpredictable, you would be taking greater risks with money that you may be relying on for retirement.
Should You Actively Trade in Your Roth IRA?
For the majority of investors, active trading in a Roth IRA likely is not as good as a buy-and-hold strategy with retirement funds because of the increased risk. While some level of trading is required to build a strong Roth IRA portfolio, active trading is an advanced strategy.
When You Should Actively Trade in Your Roth IRA
Active trading is best reserved for advanced traders who have time to research potential trades, and who already have a robust retirement nest egg.
Dollar-Cost Averaging as a Less Risky Alternative
For people looking to improve their holdings, taking a more methodical dollar-cost averaging investment route with Roth IRA trading helps reduce risk. Dollar-cost averaging is when you have a lump sum of cash you want to invest into specific assets. Instead of buying all at once, you split up the purchases over a period of time to protect against potential price swings. Want to read more content like this? Sign up for The Balance’s newsletter for daily insights, analysis, and financial tips, all delivered straight to your inbox every morning!
