How To Fund Your Retirement as a Stay-at-Home Parent, According to Rachel Cruze
Written by
Laura Beck
Edited by
Amen Oyiboke
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
Think staying home with the kids means giving up on your own retirement savings? Think again. Financial expert Rachel Cruze shared some knowledge on TikTok about a retirement strategy that most stay-at-home parents don’t even know exists.
Here are ways to fund your retirement as a stay-at-home parent.
Your Own Retirement Account? Yes, Really
Here’s the game-changer: “There is something called a spousal Roth IRA, which means you can actually open up a Roth IRA even if you’re not working,” Cruze shared. No paycheck needed — as long as your spouse is bringing home the bacon, you can start building your nest egg.
Show Me the Money
Ready for the specifics? “You can put up to $7,000 in it in the calendar year of 2025 and max it out every year,” said Cruze. This is huge if you stay home because, as she says, “you won’t have a 403(b) or a 401(k) through an employer because you’re not working.”
Think Bigger
Don’t stop at just the spousal IRA though. According to Cruze, couples should explore “other investing that you can do at that point together outside of your husband’s retirement.” The key is treating retirement planning as a team sport.
Remember Your Worth
Let’s be real — staying home is a job too. As Cruze put it, “When you are a stay-at-home parent, you are contributing so much to the household. You are providing a level of care to what the spouse that’s working all day can’t. And that is priceless.”
Just because you’re not collecting a paycheck doesn’t mean you can’t build your own retirement savings. Time to get that spousal IRA rolling.
More From GOBankingRates
