A Roth IRA is a retirement account. Once you fund the account, you still have to choose an investment, whether you buy individual stocks, an index fund, bonds, shares in a real estate investment trust, or just leave it in cash. With a Roth IRA, you’re dealing with after-tax cash. The nice thing about the Roth IRA is that the cash grows tax-free forever, there are some estate-planning benefits, and you can use the cash to pay for medical bills and tuition before you turn 59 1/2. Learn more here about Roth IRAs.