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Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

You can open a Regular Savings Certificate with a minimum balance of $500. Certificates are available with terms of 6 months to 36 months. Our Savings Certificates can be used for your Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

One of the greatest challenges facing Americans today is ensuring the financial well being and security of your family throughout your retirement years. With uncertainty over the adequacy of social security growing daily, it’s increasingly necessary to rely on your own savings plans and resources to support your future retirement plans.

At North Georgia Credit Union, we offer 2 main savings accounts geared to help you save for your family’s future: Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs.

TRADITIONAL IRAs

Traditional IRAs are valuable long-term savings tools that can provide safety and security for you and your family. Your contributions can be deducted from your taxable income, reducing the income taxes you are currently paying.

Traditional IRA Features:

  • Can be opened and funded without any employer participation
  • Contributions and/or earnings are tax-deferred earnings until retirement
  • Offer possible deductions based on retirement plan participation and income
  • Provide full accessibility to your funds; 10% early distribution penalty if younger than 59½ years
  • Are completely flexible as there is no minimum contribution in any year
  • Members may contribute a maximum of $7,000 per year or $8,000 if you are 50 or older by the end of the year

Contributing to your Traditional IRA:

You can contribute to your IRA as long as you:

  • Have earned income equal to or greater than the Traditional IRA contribution

You can contribute up to the lesser of:

  • 100% of earned income, or
  • $7,000 per year or $8,000 if you are 50 or older by the end of the year

Spousal Contributions:

Your spouse can fund your IRA with certain dollar limits on contributions and deductions. To be eligible to establish a spousal IRA, the following requirements must be met:

  • You must be married and file a joint federal tax return
  • One spouse must have compensation or earned income equal to or greater than the IRA contribution
  • An IRA must be established for the non-compensated spouse
  • Spouses under the age of 50 may contribute $7,000, plus catch up contributions, if eligible. 

Catch Up Contributions:

IRA holders that reach 50 years of age prior to the end of the taxable year may be eligible to contribute an additional $1K to a Traditional IRA as a catch-up contribution.

Deadline for Contributions:

You must make regular, spousal and catch-up IRA contributions to Traditional IRAs by the due date of your federal income tax returns, April 15th in most cases.

Nondeductible Contributions:

You can make nondeductible contributions if you are not eligible for a tax deduction or if you choose not to take a deduction. The combined total of deductible and nondeductible contributions cannot exceed the annual contribution limit of $7K, plus.

Tax Credits:

You might be able to receive the Saver’s Tax Credit, equal to a percentage of your IRA and retirement plan contributions up to $2K. To be eligible for the tax credit, you must:

  • Be 18 years old prior to the end of the taxable year
  • Not be a dependent or a full-time student
  • Have adjusted gross income (AGI) within limits

Transfers & Rollovers:

You can move money from one IRA to another of the same type via a transfer or rollover.

A transfer is a direct movement between like IRAs, generally from one financial organization to another, but can occur between like IRAs at the same institution. An individual can make only one rollover from an IRA to another (or the same) IRA in any 12-month period, regardless of the number of IRAs he or she owns. This means that an eligible IRA distribution properly rolled over to another IRA, will still get tax-free treatment, but subsequent distributions from any of the individual’s IRAs received within one year after that distribution will not get tax-free rollover treatment. The transfers may be for all or any part of an IRA balance.

With a rollover, you, your surviving spouse beneficiary, or your former spouse actually receives the money or property through a distribution before rolling it into another IRA. The distribution that is eventually rolled into an IRA is treated as any other type of distribution at the time it is taken from the IRA. So the withholding rules still apply. The distributing financial organization reports the distribution to the IRS, and the receiving organization reports the rollover contribution to the IRS.

Accessibility to Funds:

Full access to your IRA funds is always guaranteed with a Traditional IRA. Taxable distributions taken from a Traditional IRA before the IRA holder reaches age 59½ are generally subject to a 10% penalty. This is to discourage people from taking distributions prior to reaching age 59½. The 10% early distribution penalty does not apply in the following situations:

  • 59½ year of age
  • Death
  • Disability
  • Medical expenses
  • Health insurance premiums following unemployment
  • First home purchase
  • Higher education expenses
  • IRS levy
  • Series of substantially equal periodic payments
  • Qualified reservist distributions

Mandatory Distributions:

Beginning in the year that a Traditional IRA holder turns 73 years of age, distributions from a Traditional IRA become mandatory. These distributions are based on your IRA balance divided by your life expectancy, either singly or jointly with your beneficiary. If you fail to take your required distribution, you will be subject to a substantial penalty.

To view North Georgia Credit Union’s Traditional IRA rates, please click here.

ROTH IRAs

Roth IRA Features:

  • The money you contribute to a Roth IRA has already been taxed. So the principal amount is never subject to taxes or penalties in the future, as long as you stay within the contribution guidelines.
  • Roth IRAs enable the money you contribute to grow tax-deferred. If you do not withdraw any of the earnings until you have had the IRA for at least 5 years and have a qualifying event, those earnings become tax-free.
  • There is no 70½ year age limit on making contributions. You do, however, need earned income, which is defined the same as for Traditional IRAs. As long as you satisfy the Roth IRA requirements, you may contribute to a Roth IRA, even after the year in which you reach 70½ years.

Contributing to your Roth IRA:

  • Annual contribution limit is the lesser of $7,000
  • Contribution eligibility depends on your, or you and your spouse’s modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) and income tax filing status. The amount you can contribute may be reduced depending on your MAGI
  • Individuals with MAGI of $105K or less can contribute the maximum annual contribution of $7,000
  • Individuals with MAGI of more than $105K and less than $120K can make partial contributions
  • Individuals with MAGI of $120K+ may not contribute to Roth IRAs
  • Married individuals who file joint income tax returns with joint MAGI of $166K or less may contribute the maximum annual contribution
  • Married individuals who file joint returns with joint MAGI of $166K+ and less than $176K may make partial contributions
  • Married individuals who file joint returns with MAGI of $176K+ cannot contribute for that year
  • Married individuals who file separate returns with MAGI of less than $10K may make partial contributions
  • Married individuals who file separate returns with MAGI of $10K+ cannot contribute

Catch Up Contributions:

IRA holders that reach 50 years of age prior to the end of the taxable year may be eligible to contribute an additional $1K to a Roth IRA as a catch-up contribution.

Deadline for Contributions:

You must make regular, spousal and catch-up IRA contributions to Roth IRAs by the due date of your federal income tax returns, April 15th in most cases.

Qualified Distributions:

You may take a qualified distribution from a Roth IRA tax and penalty free. A distribution of Roth IRA is considered qualified if the IRA has been open for a minimum of 5 years or if the withdrawal must be made because of one of the following events:

  • Age 59½
  • Death
  • Disability
  • First home purchase

Moving funds from Traditional IRA to Roth IRA:

Specific rules govern the process of converting funds from a Traditional to a Roth IRA including:

  • Your MAGI must be $100K or less. There is no income limit on the conversion of a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA)
  • If you are married, you must file a joint income tax return. There will not be a requirement for married couples to file a joint income tax return in order to convert a
    Traditional IRA to a Roth)
  • You must pay taxes on all the pretax dollars that you convert
  • Assets are not subject to the 10% penalty if properly converted

Mandatory Distributions:

There are no required minimum distributions due at 73 years of age as with the Traditional IRA. Earnings can continue to grow until you want to take a distribution. However, there are special distribution requirements when these plans pass to your beneficiaries.

To view North Georgia Credit Union’s Roth IRA rates, please click here.

*North Georgia Credit Union provides no legal advice to members, and provides the foregoing information from a reliable resource to give our members a basic understanding of these services. You should consult with your tax or legal advisor regarding any particular and the current status of applicable federal and state laws.