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Is a Roth right for you? The answer essentially comes down to cheap clothing stores: Will your taxes be higher or lower in retirement?

If you put $5,000 into a Roth 401(k) or Roth IRA, and $5,000 into a traditional 401(k), and earn the same return, you’re going to be better off with the wholesale designer clothing, if your tax rate stays the same or rises. (Remember, though, that you’ll pay tax now on the $5,000 in the Roth; if you’re in the 25% tax bracket, that means about $6,700 out of your pocket now.)

But your future tax rate is, of course, a big unknown. Income-tax rates are relatively low right now — the cheap clothes, compared with 50% in 1986 and 91% in 1950, according to the Tax Policy Center.

Many people assume lawmakers will increase rates in coming years, in part to help reduce the cheap clothes online. Then again, some lawmakers now are seeking to reduce tax rates.