<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>				<article id="-758804890"><artname>How You Can Fund a Roth IRA</artname><p>An important part of establishing an <glossary def="A retirement plan created by the US government to encourage people to save for their own retirement. Benefits include tax-deferred growth and, depending on the type of IRA, tax deductibility or tax-free withdrawal. There are several qualifications and limitations as to who may contribute and when withdrawals may be made." primary="Individual Retirement Account (IRA)">IRA</glossary> is having a <glossary def="1. A financial institution that holds the assets of an account, such as an IRA or health savings account. In some states, the institution is considered a 'trustee' of the account. 2. A bank that holds the assets of a mutual fund. The managing of the fund, however, usually lies with another party." primary="Custodian">custodian</glossary> for the account. A custodian can be a <glossary def="A business, with a state or federal government charter, that provides services such as paying interest on deposits, issuing and collecting checks, and making loans, especially to businesses. Shareholders receive part of a bank's profit as a return on their investment in the bank, represented by the stock that they've purchased." primary="Bank">bank</glossary>, <glossary def="A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members. One is eligible to join a particular credit union if he or she belongs to the field of membership defined in its charter. All members have the right to democratically elect a board of directors. The board gives the credit union's management and staff general instructions. Historically, credit unions encourage thrift among members and provide them with credit at a low rate." primary="Credit Union">credit union</glossary>, or other financial institution. The custodian holds the funds that you contribute to your IRA. This is true for any funding vehicle. This fact is especially important to <nodef>note</nodef> in the case of coins (such as gold <glossary def="South African gold coins containing different amounts of gold: one-tenth, one-quarter, one-half, or one full ounce. The one-ounce Krugerrand is the most popular. Krugerrands move up and down in value with gold prices, and are thus a convenient way to invest in gold." primary="Krugerrands">Krugerrands</glossary>) held in an IRA. The individual does not hold the coins, but the custodian does.</p><p>You may use the following <glossary def="The purchase of a potentially appreciable asset such as a stock, a bond, a property, or a unit of production. The purchase provides funds for the growth of businesses and governments." primary="Investment">investments</glossary> to fund <glossary def="A variation on the individual retirement account. Like the traditional IRA, it has limits on yearly contributions, and it has qualifications of income. Tax-deductibility of contributions is not available with the Roth, however. Distributions may be tax-free if all requirements are met." primary="Roth IRA">Roth IRAs</glossary>:</p><ulist>   <item><glossary def="A fund that is owned by many investors and that sells its shares to the public on a continuous (open-ended) basis. Mutual funds place their money in a variety of stocks, bonds, and other investments. Advantages of investing in mutual funds include diversification and professional money management." primary="Mutual Fund">Mutual funds</glossary></item>   <item><glossary def="A bond sold at discount and paying no interest, but instead paying the holder the face value at maturity. A zero coupon bond stated at $1,000 but sold for $600 would yield the holder a total of $1,000 at maturity. The extra $400 the investor makes would be treated as interest." primary="Zero Coupon Bond">Zero coupon bonds</glossary></item>   <item><glossary def="A certificate offered by a bank for a deposit that will be left untouched for a specified length of time. In return for not withdrawing the money, the customer will normally earn a yield higher than that from a savings account and will enjoy a high degree of safety of his or her money. Withdrawal of the cash in a CD before its maturity date results in a penalty fee and some loss of interest. CDs typically are held from 30 days to 5 years. Credit unions generally call CDs certificates or certificate accounts." primary="Certificate of Deposit">Certificates of deposit</glossary></item>   <item><glossary def="A class of stock that represents ownership, or equity, in a corporation. Each share represents an undivided interest in the assets of the corporation. Contrasted with preferred stock, common stock has voting rights in the company, but does not offer fixed dividends. Common stock prices are determined by supply of and demand for the stock and the earnings of the company." primary="Common Stock">Common stocks</glossary></item>   <item><glossary def="A business agreement in which a bank, credit union, or other financial institution agrees to hold and pay interest on money deposited. The customer may withdraw some or all of the money, but not by writing a share draft or check." primary="Savings Account">Savings accounts</glossary></item>   <item><glossary def="An investment company that purchases a fixed portfolio of income-producing securities and sells shares of the trust to investors." primary="Unit Investment Trust">Unit investment trusts</glossary></item>   <item>Platinum, gold, and silver coins</item>   <item><glossary def="An individual retirement account in the form of an annuity. It has contribution and distribution regulations like IRAs, along with flexible premium payments. Like all other annuities, an individual retirement annuity must be purchased from a life insurance company." primary="Individual Retirement Annuity">Individual retirement annuities</glossary></item>   <item><glossary def="A special type of savings account that makes it easy to invest in short-term securities. It is designed to compete with money market mutual funds and usually requires minimum balances and limited withdrawals of funds." primary="Money Market Account">Money market deposit accounts</glossary></item></ulist><p>Roth IRAs may not be placed into the following investments:</p><ulist>   <item><glossary def="Life insurance that builds cash value that the owner can surrender for the cash surrender value." primary="Cash Value Life Insurance">Cash value life insurance</glossary></item>   <item><glossary def="Objects that are esteemed by groups of people who consider these items to have special value because of rarity or cultural or historical uniqueness. People collect a wide variety of objects, including comic books, automobiles, photos, books, and autographs. However, identifying truly marketable items is not an easy task." primary="Collectibles">Collectibles</glossary></item></ulist></article>	