With a traditional IRA, withdrawals taken before age 59 1/2 are subject to a 10% penalty with limited exceptions, like buying a first-time home. But because you don't get a tax break on your ...

Image source: Getty Images. You need to meet two criteria if you want to withdraw Roth IRA earnings penalty- and tax-free. First, you must be at least 59 1/2, and second, you must have had your ...

You cannot withdraw any funds converted to a Roth IRA within five years unless you're over age 59 1/2. You must deplete the funds of an inherited Roth IRA by the end of the fifth year following ...

The idea of paying taxes now in exchange for the prospect of lower taxes decades in the future struck me as preposterous.

Lisa Greene-Lewis: If you withdraw from your IRA or 401k, and you're younger than 59 and 1/2, you will incur an additional 10% tax, in addition to whatever your ordinary tax rate is when you file ...

You can start withdrawals from your IRA without penalties at age 59 1/2. There are exceptions to this rule, however, as certain hardship guidelines allow penalty-free early withdrawals.

The Roth IRA, named after the late Delaware Sen ... you must wait five years or until you reach age 59-1/2 before you can withdraw the converted amount free of the 10% penalty.