Millions of spouses leave the workforce every year to care for children or aging parents, a move that can jeopardize retirement security. But if one partner is working, a spousal IRA can help close the gap.
As long as one spouse has earned income and the couple files a joint tax return, the working spouse can contribute to an IRA in the nonworking spouse’s name. That makes a spousal IRA an ideal retirement-savings tool for spouses who plan to pause their careers, says Madison Sharick, a certified financial planner in Pittsburgh.
