Choosing roth ira account from usaa vs. brokerage firms?

i am trying to decide opening a roth ira with either usaa, citibank or an investment firm. i just want max out every year and leave it as is. i am looking for advice to pros/ cons on choosing them. i prefer no fees but optional. any recommendation.

USAA should be a better bet than a brokerage firm,which will likely rip you off with fees and commissions..

There's no cut and dry way to answer your question without knowing more details. How aggressive do you want to be? Are you going to monitor your investments yourself? There are a ton of variables that need to be considered. I would recommend finding someone in your area who can help guide you. There are many financial advisors who do not charge commissions and do flat fee-based planning if that's what you're worried about. Good luck!

If you are confident in your knowledge of investing and will actively manage your own account, then a discount brokerage or banking institution may work very well for you. On the other hand, if you don' t know much about investing or don't have the time or interest to do this yourself, paying a small fee to a professional may be a wise decision.

Think about this, if by paying a professional you are able to achieve 1% better results on average over a period of 20 years, you will have roughly 30% more money in your account. That could mean an account of $130,000 instead of $100,000 - or - $65,000 instead of $50,000. Of course this depends on how much you invest.

What I am trying to illustrate is that small differences in investment performance, when compounded over a long period of time, can make a major difference. If you don't know what you are doing, paying a fee to someone who does could be well worth it.

Ask around...talk to a few different financial advisors...try to minimize your fees but be confident that you are getting competent help. Don't be surprised if you get a lukewarm response from advisors (brokers and other commissioned agents) - your $4,000 investment each year is not a large piece of business for them but they may be the ones to get you the best results.

Good luck!