economy
February 24, 2026
Money coach maxes their Roth IRA at the beginning of every year: It's 'non-negotiable for me'
Charly Stoever makes a lump sum investment into their Roth IRA each January, even if it makes up a large chunk of their income.

TL;DR
- Charly Stoever front-loads their Roth IRA contribution, investing the maximum amount in early January.
- This strategy aims to capture the entire year's potential investment gains.
- Stoever's Roth IRA contribution represents a significant portion of their income, seen as a non-negotiable for retirement.
- Dollar-cost averaging, investing smaller amounts at regular intervals, is a common alternative.
- Dollar-cost averaging can help manage investor psychology by removing emotion from investment decisions.
- Historically, lump-sum investing has shown higher returns than periodic investing over long periods.
- Morgan Stanley Wealth Management analysis indicated lump-sum approaches yielded higher returns in over 56% of historical periods studied.
- Consistency in saving a portion of income for long-term goals is emphasized as more important than the specific investment method.
- Consulting a financial professional is recommended to determine the best strategy.
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