Take it slowly. Tax rules in this space can get complex. It’s also tempting to avoid taxes at all costs, but that’s usually not the optimal plan.
Having both a Roth and Traditional IRA is a good idea – they cost nothing to open, so getting it all done at once is a nice way to get all your options set up at once.
IRAs are tax sheltered, but there are differences in when they’re appropriate to use mainly related to your current and expected future tax situation.
Money in an IRA is often penalized if you access it before you’re 59 1/2 years old (money you’ve contributed to a Roth is available whenever you want, but anything it’s earned is not).
The rules are weird if you’re just starting out, which is why I recommend starting slowly.
Tax treatment is a tricky subject too. Trading in an IRA has no immediate tax implications. Withdraws can though. For a regular taxable brokerage, withdraws aren’t taxable, but dividends and sales can be (whether or not you ever withdraw the money).
Even if you sell and withdraw money, the tax liability is often pretty low compared to earned income, so a taxable brokerage is a nice place to invest for money you’ll want to use before 59 1/2.
Strategies to access IRA funds before that age, and without penalties, also exist, but it can get complicated.
VOO is a good ETF for road stocks, which are usually good for long term investing (money you don’t need to use for a decade or so). So is VTI.
Just use one or the other though, there’s no need to hold both most of the time (they overlap a lot).
