re: When do I start seeing interest in my Roth IRA account?

Sounds like you need to do a lot of research. A Roth IRA account with most brokers is basically like a savings account - if you leave cash in it you will make next to nothing, maybe a few pennies a year. Saying you have stocks could mean anything - some pay dividends, some are held only for their value and others could lose value, in which case your account loses money. I would avoid buying individual stocks and instead look at a very broad market fund until you can learn more.