tIRA vs Roth IRA Contributions Depending on Life Situation

[LibrarIan]

My search skills are failing me right now. Last year someone on this forum pointed me to a planner/calculator type thing that helped you figure out, based on your tax filing status and income, how much you could/should contribute to your tIRA vs. your Roth to max the tax benefits. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Or maybe you know of something similar to this?

[MDM]

First check to ensure your income is under the applicable IRA Deduction Limit.  If not, a Roth IRA is almost certainly your best choice.

If the traditional IRA (tIRA) contribution is deductible, you have to compare the marginal tax rate you'll save on the tIRA contribution now, to the marginal tax rate you expect to pay when withdrawing in the future.

See Traditional versus Roth - Bogleheads for more details.

The case study spreadsheet (in Excel) can show you the contribution marginal rate (assuming the contribution is deductible).  Some guesswork is needed for the withdrawal marginal rate....