Who Should Invest with a Spousal IRA?

Normally, the laws regarding IRAs say that an individual must earn income to contribute to their own IRA. In other words, you usually can’t contribute to someone else’s retirement account.

Spousal IRAs circumvent these requirements by allowing someone to contribute to their spouse’s IRA. This way, if you’re married and out of work (like if you’re a stay-at-home parent), you can work with your spouse to save money toward retirement.

This isn’t a joint account: it’s actually put into the name of the spouse. Between the additional savings you can squirrel away into a spousal IRA, and the fact that many brokers will let you invest online in your retirement fund, and a spousal IRA is a convenient way to save additional money for retirement. In fact, you could see the best online IRA companies and get started immediately.

The IRS tightly regulates spousal IRAs, and puts several limitations on their use. First, only some people can save for retirement with a spousal IRA. You have to be legally married and filing jointly, and putting the IRA in your spouse’s name.

What’s more, the couple can’t put more money into their personal IRAs or spousal IRAs than their annual income. In other words, if you’re both out of work but have money saved up, you can’t put that money into your spousal IRA.

Finally, there are limitations on how much money you can contribute to your IRA, and how much money’s tax deductible. These can vary considerably from year to year, so it’s important to check with your online broker or online tax service to see what the most current laws are.

Spousal IRAs aren’t for everyone. But for many couples, they’re a key part of a sound investment strategy. By working closely with your online broker, you can figure out the best ways to save up money for you and your spouse’s future together.