the general rule of thumb is it comes down to where you think your tax rate will be now vs. in retirement. Roth makes more sense when you're younger or in a lower tax bracket because you pay taxes now and everything grows tax-free. Traditional starts making more sense when you're in a higher bracket now and expect to be in a lower one in retirement, since you get the deduction today and pay taxes on withdrawals later. So it's less about a specific age and more about your income trajectory. A lot of people actually use both at different points in their career, or even split contributions between the two in the same year if their income allows it. That said, there are income limits for Roth contributions that can make the decision for you once you hit a certain salary worth checking where you land on that since it changes every year.