Roth or Traditional? See which leaves you more.

The core difference is when you pay tax. Traditional contributions are typically made pre-tax, lowering your taxable income now, and you pay tax on withdrawals in retirement. Roth contributions are made with after-tax money now, and qualified withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. Because the total tax you pay depends on your rate at each point, the better choice hinges largely on whether you expect your tax rate to be higher now or in retirement. Rules, contribution limits, and eligibility vary by account and country, so treat this as a framework, not tax advice.

As a rule of thumb, Roth tends to win if you expect your tax rate to be higher in retirement than it is now — you lock in today's lower rate — while Traditional tends to win if you expect a lower rate later, deferring tax until it's cheaper. Many people also value Roth's tax-free withdrawals and flexibility, and some split contributions across both to hedge uncertainty about future tax rates. This calculator shows the after-tax outcome for your own assumptions, but your actual choice should account for your full tax situation and ideally professional advice.

A ready-to-use spreadsheet (Excel & Google Sheets): after-tax retirement value of Roth vs Traditional side by side, with return, horizon, and tax-rate scenarios — delivered instantly after checkout. AI-assisted, human-built; not financial advice.