The main difference is the income taxes you pay on your contributions. With a traditional 401 (k) plan, you pay income taxes on any contribution or profit you withdraw. With a Roth 401 (k) or a Gold IRA 401k, income taxes only apply to your earnings, since you've already prepaid the money you put into the account. A Roth 401 (k) and Gold IRA 401k are relatively new additions and allow for different types of tax relief. With a Roth 401 (k) plan, you'll make after-tax cash contributions, so you won't get a tax break today.
In exchange, any money you withdraw during retirement will be tax-free. The main difference between a Roth 401 (k) and a 401 (k) is when you pay taxes into your employer-sponsored retirement account. With a Roth 401 (k), you contribute money after taxes and can then withdraw it tax-free once you reach retirement age. A traditional 401 (k) plan allows you to make contributions before you pay taxes, but you'll have to pay income tax on distributions you make in retirement.
This example shows that a Roth 401 (k) is probably the best option for those who save a lot because they get more total benefits with tax-deferred taxes. Second, people who save a lot may find that they can't take advantage of some of the options of using a traditional 401 (k) plan. For example, you can convert a traditional 401 (k) plan with a high account balance to a Roth IRA. However, this conversion may place you in a higher tax bracket than you originally planned, meaning you are losing out on tax advantages.
If the answer is lower, then a traditional 401 (k) plan would make more sense. However, if you expect to have a higher tax rate during retirement, a Roth 401 (k) may be the best option. The general rule is that if you think you'll be in a higher tax bracket when you retire than you are currently, choose Roth 401 (k). When you choose Roth, you pay taxes at your current tax rate and avoid them at your higher retirement tax rate.
If you think you're currently in a higher tax bracket than you'll be when you retire, the traditional 401 (k) plan may be the way to go. This way, you get a tax deduction now while you're in a higher bracket and pay taxes later when you're in a lower bracket. Meanwhile, converting a traditional 401 (k) into a traditional IRA doesn't help you avoid RMDs, and you can't convert that account into a Roth IRA without incurring high taxes.
