5) Retirement Planning

An IRA is a retirement bucket you open yourself at a broker like Fidelity or Schwab. It is not connected to your employer.

• If your company doesn't have a 401(k), or if you already got the full match and have extra money, put it in an IRA.
• In 2026, the limit is $7,500 per year.
• Unlike a 401(k), where the company chooses the investments, an IRA lets you buy any stock or index fund you want.