Contributing to a Roth IRA just requires depositing cash into it. That cash could be invested immediately into say a Target Retirement Date Fund or SPY, but you can also just store it as a money market mutual fund, bond ETF, etc. In Vanguard, for instance, you can either immediately store it in the 'Settlement Fund,' which is a money market mutual fund (VMFXX) currently earning 4.5% interest, or you can put it in one of the mutual funds you opened with Vanguard.
In other words, if you have cash sitting around in the bank earning next to nothing and have not maxed out your Roth IRA for 2022 (better hurry) or 2023, you can simply max it out now without investing it in the stock market. Or invest it if that is your desire. And when it hits January of 2024, you can again do the same and max it out instantly (in cash).
Caution: Do not forget about your decision if you keep it as cash. Many individuls store their contributions as cash but forget to ever invest in the stock market. A few years later, they realize they lost out on thousands of dollars of compounding.
Footnote: This post is aimed at US investors but the general principal may apply to you.
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