Saving for retirement is not the only reason to make well-planned investments. The good news is that when your retirement goals are balanced with other long-term needs, 401(k) and IRA investments are much more cost-effective and ready to fill an important gap in your long-term financial strategy. Visit https://www.sofi.com/investing-101-center/ to get all the details.

The major issue with 401(k)s is that contributions are tax deductible and withdrawals are not especially for high earners. To make sure that the money you save is not taxed, make sure that you are contributing to an IRA as well. Both you and your employer will then pay taxes on these contributions and both you and the employer will need to have IRAs and 401(k)s registered with the IRS to take advantage of the tax benefits. As a reminder, here is a great table (PDF) to help you figure out if your options would work for you:

IRAs vs. 401(k)

If you’ve already determined that an IRA or 401(k) is right for you, you’ll want to make sure that you follow through with your first investment. If you don’t, you might find yourself making contributions that you never reach your required minimums.
Instead of waiting for retirement to invest for retirement, get started now and save for the future.

Retirement investment choices can be daunting, but no matter what your specific goals are, it’s worth taking the time to look at your retirement plans and find ways to meet them. Once you know your situation and have made an investment choice, you can figure out what happens after you leave the workforce.

With money savings comes flexibility, and that means that you have more power in determining your long-term financial goals and reducing your financial stress. Take some time to think about your future, decide what you want to accomplish, and make your plans to achieve them.