What Are The Best Ways For Someone Under 30 To Start Planning For Retirement? 
First , take care of your risks - health insurance , car insurance , home/renters insurance , life insurance . Second , you need a stash of emergency cash . I make it rhyme so it 's easy to remember . $ 1,000 - $ 2,000 is a good start . Get a safe & start sticking it in there . Crap happens - someone in India wipes out your account and it takes a week or two to get the bank to give you back your money . Third , open a savings account and save at least three months of your household expenses but six months is better . Again , crap happens and if you have to change jobs , you may need a 3-6 month cushion to find another job . Fourth , max out your company 's 401k to the extent of the company matching . That means for every dollar you put in , you DOUBLE your money guaranteed . Fifth , this is where you get into long term financial planning . Do some networking , attend some seminars , ask friends . I personally like mutual funds & annuities but everyone will give you different answers . Find a plan that meets your risk tolerance and a company you trust . You will hear a lot of noise about fees but keep it in perspective - are you getting what you pay for ? It 's not like gasoline where you get the same gas no matter where you fill up so always look for the cheapest . Different products offer different services for different fees . 