Fools,

I'd like to open a Roth (actually, I have, but with not much $ in it). The difficulty is a shortage of funds; my husband and I are mostly working now to pay down debt (_not_ credit card debt, but former credit card debt now converted to a loan on his 403b) and build a small "cushion." I contend that we can do this _and_ have Roths because our credit union allows one to open a Roth money market with as few as $25 and of course we can yank the principle out at any time (I have opened the Roth; hubby hasn't). However, obviously, more $ in the Roth would be better, and it would be nice to have it in a higher-yield situation (present yield/risk ratio is good, though, 5.5%).

My question is this: I own 110 shares of Nationsbank stock. These my grandmother gave me shortly before she died (in 1980) and I have never done anything with them, they are just there. Thus, I have never paid taxes of any kind on them (except on the dividends, or course, and no I don't reinvest though I know I should). Of course, they have appreciated substantially in this time, though I know not how much.

Could I somehow put the stocks themselves into a Roth? The difficulty here is the combo of income/tax: they weren't income (but a gift), and I've never paid tax on them. I suppose, of course, that I could sell them, pay the tax, and invest the $ in a Roth. But it would be nice if I could just throw them in the Roth itself -- is there a loophole? Does anyone know?

Thanks!
hb