Retirement Planning Roadmap

Always contribute enough to get the full employer match first. This is free money!

Max out your Roth IRA for tax-free growth and withdrawals in retirement.

Triple tax advantage: tax-deductible contributions, tax-free growth, and tax-free medical withdrawals.

After the above, go back and max out the rest of your 401(k) contributions.

If you are 50+, take advantage of additional catch-up contribution limits.

Use pre-tax dollars for medical or dependent care expenses. Use it or lose it!

High earners can use this strategy to contribute to a Roth IRA indirectly via traditional IRA conversion.

If your plan allows after-tax contributions and in-service conversions, you can supercharge your Roth.

If you have children or plan to, use a 529 plan for tax-free growth and withdrawals on qualified education expenses.

After maxing all tax-advantaged accounts, invest additional savings in a taxable brokerage account for unlimited contributions and flexibility.