You got an IRA and you put your funds in and when you invest it is for the long-term...so, likely those funds are held awhile in particular items ...decades maybe on some stuff. When you liquidate, the funds are taxed as ordinary income even though alot of it is long-term capital gains (and you are restricted in what you can invest in). You can see where I'm going...maybe there are not so many advantages as they tell us. On some portion, you just traded LT gains into ordinary income....and I know that you deduct the contribution but.....it ain't as good as it is advertised, it seems to me.