As a single tax filer, your first 10000 of income is tax free (standard deduction plus 1 personal exemption). Up to the next 38000 of income is the 15% tax bracket. So about 48000 of income would put you at the top of the 15% bracket. Anything over that will be taxed in the 25% bracket until you really start making a lot more money. In my opinion, the Roth vs. Traditional IRA oftentimes hinges on whether you are in the 15% bracket or above at the time of the contribution. The Roth for lower earners (15% and below). The Traditional for higher earners (25% and above), where you will be able to get the most benefit from the up front tax deduction. At higher income levels though, the Traditional gets phased out before the Roth, so sometimes the Roth comes back into play. My suggestion is to contribute to the Roth for both 2014 and 2015 because your contributions will be made while you are in the low tax brackets. When you start making 55-65k, you would want to fund your 401k first, especially for the company match. Any extra money after the 401k could then be put into the IRA or taxable account of your choice.