Anybody who was surprised that the Federal Reserve Board decided to raise its benchmark interest rate this week probably wasn't paying attention. The U.S. economy is humming along, the stock market is booming and the unemployment rate has fallen faster than anybody expected. The incoming administration has promised lower taxes and a stimulative $550 billion infrastructure investment. The question on the minds of most observers is: what were they waiting for?

Do you know the difference between a Traditional IRA & a Roth IRA??

IRA accounts, otherwise known as, Individual Retirement Accounts are a way for to save for retirement. A Traditional IRA can be funded with pre-tax contributions and can be a tax deductible (check with your tax advisor) and grow tax-deferred until age 70 ½ (when the IRS requires you to begin distributing the assets).When you retire and draw on the funds, the money would be taxable as ordinary income.Theoretically, you would be in a lower tax bracket during the withdrawal phase.It is important to note, that any distributions taken prior to 59 ½ are subject to both taxes and an early withdrawal penalty from the Fed of 10% and the State of 2.5%.