Earnings in a Roth IRA grow on a tax-deferred and potentially tax-free basis. That way, earnings are not subject to tax until distributed and may never be taxed for federal income tax purposes if distributed in a qualified distribution. Some of the tax advantages of a Roth IRA include:

. Contributions may be withdrawn at anytime, for any reason, without penalties or taxes.
. As long as your Roth IRA is at least five years old and you are at least 59½, generally you may withdraw your earnings, for any reason, and not be subject to any federal income tax or penalty.
. You may also continue making contributions after age 70½ to the extent you have earned income (and subject to the contribution limits above).
. No distributions are required to be taken during the account owner's lifetime.