5 year rule Roth IRA.

The 5 year rule that applies to the Roth IRA is a source of great confusion. In general the rule states that while you can begin making withdrawals of both contributions & earnings at the age of 59 and a half, you must have also had the Roth IRA for a period of 5 years. 

For example: If you opened the Roth IRA at 57 years old you would actually need to wait until age 62 to begin making qualified withdrawals from your Roth. *You can always withdraw contributions at anytime.