Hi Randy, lot of unknowns about your situation that could affect the answer.
For me, I have emergency fund, max out tax-deferred tsp and manage to save enough these days to also at least partially fund an outside Roth account each year, which I've been doing for a few years. I paid off a 6+% mortgage interest rate early about 10 years ago by paying extra principal while only putting into tsp enough to get the matching while I was doing that. only reason I have extra savings now to put into Roth. I am a year younger than you, started the roth a handful of years earlier, it adds up slowly but surely. I intend to keep working at something til around 70 and putting what I can into Roth as long as I can.
Having a Roth account that builds up gives future flexibility. think of it as an emergency fund if needed (contributions only, not the earnings, at least for the first 5 years), but a way to also manage taxes by having a portion of future withdrawals taxfree if/when needed (from earnings and contributions both, after account in place for 5 years). and no required timeline for withdrawals, keep it growing as long as you like, or until needed.
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