Is a Roth or traditional IRA the best choice?
To be clear, retirement accounts are ideal places to hold REIT investments, as the benefits of tax-deferred investing can magnify the already tax-advantaged nature of these companies. However, which should you choose: a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA? Unfortunately, there's no perfect answer. It depends on when you want your tax break, now or later.
If you're in a relatively low tax bracket right now, which is generally either the 10% or 12% marginal tax bracket under current tax law, a Roth IRA is a no-brainer since you're likely to benefit more from tax-free withdrawals in the future. However, if you're in one of the higher tax brackets and qualify for the traditional IRA tax deduction, that could be the smarter way to go.