Get a brokerage account and save there. REITs throw off a lot of taxable income. Better to hold a REIT index in the IRA and hold stock index funds in the brokerage account. If you own the stock market or the S&P 500 you already own a bit of the most productive and profitable real estate on Earth, making REITs somewhat redundant. Don't put too much of your savings in REITs unless you need the current income.