system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: what is a Roth IRA, how does it work, and what are the benefits?

As a very financially illiterate person, I’m just now entering the adult world and trying to start being smart with my money. Any tips/advice on how to navigate opening an IRA would be lovely!
gpt
I has to do with when you pay taxes. 

A regular IRA, your money comes out of your pay, and goes into you retirement savings BEFORE taxes.  You are not taxed on this money.  Later, when you are retired and you start getting payments from your retirement savings, you pay taxes on the payout.

A ROTH IRA, you **DO** pay taxes on the money, BEFORE you put them money in. But you DON'T pay taxes on the payout when get your retirement money out. 

So you do you want pay taxes NOW or Later?  

Some people like the idea of not being taxes now, because they think that leaves them more money now, which for example, means more actual money they can put in the account. (the more you put in sooner, the bigger it can grow)

Some people like the idea of paying taxes later, because they assume their tax rate when they are old and retired will be lower than their tax rate when they are young and working.