Joel O'Leary, Wife Build $140,000 Roth IRAs in 9 Years
Updated
Updated · The Motley Fool · Jul 1
Joel O'Leary, Wife Build $140,000 Roth IRAs in 9 Years
1 articles · Updated · The Motley Fool · Jul 1
Summary
$140,000 now sits in each spouse's Roth IRA after Joel O'Leary and his wife opened the accounts about nine years ago and maxed out contributions every year.
Low-cost total U.S. stock market index funds drove the growth, with the couple sticking to automatic investing and avoiding stock picking or market-timing through rises and drops.
Roth IRAs remain O'Leary's favorite account because investment gains and qualified retirement withdrawals are tax-free, while original contributions can be withdrawn anytime without taxes or penalties.
The 2026 Roth IRA contribution limit is $7,500, or $8,600 for people 50 and older, and O'Leary says even $50 or $100 monthly can start compounding early.