07 Aug Can I open a Roth IRA for my 12-year-old son?

Q. Can I open a Roth IRA for my 12-year-old son? He will get a Social Security check until he is 18. He doesn’t work so he doesn’t have a W-2 but only a 1099-SSA. I want to save money for his college.
— Dad

A. It’s great that you want to save money for college.

A Roth IRA isn’t an option for him at this time.

One of the requirements to contribute to an IRA is that you must have earned income, said Bernie Kiely, a certified financial planner and certified public accountant with Kiely Capital Management in Morristown.

Earned income is salaries, wages and self-employment income, he said.

You said your son doesn’t work so he is ineligible to contribute to an IRA.

But you want to save for college, so you have other options.

Kiely recommends you open a 529 plan, an instrument that was designed for college savings.

“The person who opens the account is the owner — you. The person who the money is being saved for is the beneficiary — your son,” Kiely said. “The owner controls how the account is managed and can change the beneficiary.”

You can contribute up to $15,000 per year into a 529 plan per beneficiary, he said. If you want you can contribute five years’ worth of annual contributions, or $75,000, all at once. A couple can contribute up to $30,000 per year.

“The earnings on your contributions grow tax free over the years,” he said. “Withdrawals from a 529 plan come out tax free if the funds are used for the appropriate purpose.”

That would include paying for tuition, room and board, books, fees, computers and other like expenses.

Learn more about how a 529 plan can impact financial aid for college here.

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This story was originally published on Aug. 7, 2020.

NJMoneyHelp.com presents certain general financial planning principles and advice, but should never be viewed as a substitute for obtaining advice from a personal professional advisor who understands your unique individual circumstances.