Question about buying/selling mutual funds, stocks in Roth IRA? (fees, commissions)

[JL]

I have a question. I am thinking about opening a Roth IRA. From what i've been told, you can buy either stocks or mutual funds in it. Do you normally buy a fund and just keep it in there for the long haul and buy it again when the next year comes around? Or do you normally buy it and sell it if it gets pretty high? Or is it better to buy individual stocks and sell when it gets high and buy back in again? I've always heard people say just to buy and let it sit and it will do ok in the long term, so don't get discouraged if it goes down like what is happening nowdays, but that is assuming you chose the right stock or fund.

As far as taxes, don't you get to forgo taxes even if you make gains/losses while in the Roth IRA since it is pre-taxed already? What about commissions charged for each trade? Do those get waived? Can you get the commissions/fees to be tax deductible? Thanks for any input.

[Oildog]

I have both stocks and funds in my Roth. Most of the stuff I buy and forget about, but I sell occasionally and get something new. My understanding is it grows tax free, which is the big perk.

[sonarrat]

I manage mine closely with a combination of long-term and mid-term holds. I try not to buy anything I would have to sell within a few months. I have some mutual funds, some stocks, some ETFs, and some options with 2010 and 2011 exercise dates.