Since you have a pension (remember nothing is guaranteed) you could think about using a Roth as a savings account or emergency fund. I have a pension and 401k and don't feel I need the Roth for investment growth.

So I use it as a savings account and I make a very good return. Much better than a regular savings account. You can take out contributions at anytime just don't touch the principal. There are some exceptions, house, college etc.

You will still have the Roth when you retire so you get that value. What you lose is growth as you will be in very conservative investments to protect your savings. You don't want to be in anything risky etc.

You will need to read up on this and study but I think you will find it is a great option.

Of course this would be extra funds you don't need right away and you will want to find a good fund that isn't risky. I use Vanguard and haven't lost any money in 5 years.

Short term funds you could park $15k in something like Lake Michigan Credit Union. 3% APY is $450 a year. Monthly, 10 debit card transactions and one ACH transfer into the account gets you that. I transfer in $10 and load my Amazon gift card balance $10 every month. 10 times in a row, varying amounts to get to $10. Takes <5 minutes. So $450 for an hour of work a year.

Nothing is easy but if you play a few tricks with what you got you can make a decent return on savings.