How to start an IRA for your new Gen Z college graduate

Profiles of graduates in caps and gowns.

California Times

June 5, 2022 5 AM PT

Dear Liz: My son is about to graduate from college and, as a present, I want to use $10,000 to start an IRA for him. But which is better? A Roth or a standard IRA?

Answer: Congratulations to both of you! Starting a retirement account is a great idea, but you should be aware of the numerous rules that limit who can contribute and how much.

Let’s start with the annual contribution limit, which for 2022 is $6,000 for people under 50. (People 50 and older can make an additional $1,000 “catch up” contribution.) Also, your son needs to have earned income — such as wages, salary or self-employment income — that is at least equal to the size of the contribution you want to make. In other words, he needs to earn $6,000 for you to contribute $6,000. If he’s about to start a full-time job, that probably won’t be an issue, but if he’s not working, or working only part time before starting graduate school, that might further limit how much you can contribute.

Speaking of jobs: The ability to deduct a regular IRA contribution could be affected if he has access to a 401(k) or other workplace retirement plan. Also, withdrawals from regular IRAs before age 59½ are typically subject to taxes and penalties. In addition, since he’s just starting out, he’ll probably be in a higher tax bracket in the future.

For all of those reasons, a Roth IRA contribution may be best. He won’t get an upfront tax deduction but withdrawals in retirement will be tax free. He can withdraw Roth contributions at any time without taxes or penalties, so the Roth can serve as a de facto emergency fund. Obviously, it’s better to leave the money alone to grow, but having access to the cash could be helpful while he builds a regular emergency fund.

How to get tax return copies

Dear Liz: Isn’t it the duty of an accountant to send their client the final tax forms that they filed with the IRS and the state? My accountant keeps “forgetting” to do so, and I’ve called him twice to do this. I’m not sure if his constant “forgetfulness” is due to laziness or a health issue such as dementia. I suspect it might be the latter, as he never used to be this way in past years.

Is there another way to get a copy of my returns? I will obviously be looking for a new accountant.

Answer: Yes, you can request copies or transcripts of your returns from the IRS and your state tax agency.

Transcripts are free, and are available for the previous three years. Personally identifiable information such as your name, address and Social Security number will be hidden, but you’ll be able to see all the financial entries, such as your adjusted gross income, taxes paid and so on. You can request transcripts online at irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript, by phone at (800) 908-9946 or by mail using either Form 4506-T or Form 4506-T-EZ and using the IRS address listed on the form.

Copies of your actual tax returns will cost you $43 each. You can request those by filling out and mailing Form 4506.

Your state will have similar procedures, which you can find by searching for your state’s name and the phrase “How do I get a copy of my state tax return?”

Why credit scores drop suddenly

Dear Liz: The same thing happened to me as to the person in your column whose credit score dropped more than 100 points after large purchases. We bought plane tickets for international travel and our credit score took a significant but temporary hit. This also happened when we made a charitable gift by credit card. After an appeal, I was able to get the credit limit on the credit card we use the most increased, and I’m waiting to see if that prevents the credit score from dropping going forward. I did check our credit reports and there were no missed payments or other problems.

Answer: Credit scores can drop when you use a lot of your available credit, but a 100-plus-point drop is unusual and should be investigated. You’re smart to look for ways to mitigate the damage from high usage. Asking to have credit limits increased is one way; another is making a payment before the statement closing date. The balance on that closing date is what’s generally reported to the credit bureaus, and thus what’s factored into your scores. Just remember to pay off any remaining balance before the due date.

Liz Weston, Certified Financial Planner, is a personal finance columnist for NerdWallet. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the “Contact” form at asklizweston.com.