Retirement Path
A path through retirement saving in the order the decisions actually arrive: the account first, then the tax treatment, then the mix, then the maths.
- 1Which Account First?Guide
The first decision, and the one that is hardest to undo later.
- 2
The part people most often leave on the table, explained before anything else.
- 3What Is a 401(k)?Guide
How the most common workplace account works, in plain English.
The account a dollar lands in quietly decides how much of it you keep.
Want the next investing lesson sent to your inbox? Get simple lessons, tools, and market insights without the noise.
- 4
The tax question behind the two account types, and what each one assumes about your future.
- 5Target-Date InvestingStrategy
The hands-off approach most retirement accounts default to, and what it does over time.
- 6
Put your own numbers in and see how the pieces add up over the years.
- 7FIRE CalculatorTool
The same maths run backwards, from a spending level to the amount behind it.
Keep learning with Money Masters
Want the next investing lesson sent to your inbox? Join thousands of Money Masters readers and get simple investing lessons, tools, and market insights without the noise.
For education and research only. Not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the Retirement Path for?
Readers who want to start saving for retirement and are not sure which account comes first. It organizes existing Money Masters guides, concepts, and tools into a short, ordered sequence so you always know what to read next.
Do I need money or experience to follow this path?
No. Every step is free to read with no account required and assumes no prior knowledge. You can work through the whole path without investing a single dollar; the goal is to understand the ideas well enough to make your own decisions.
How long does the Retirement Path take?
It is self-paced. The path has 7 short steps, so some readers finish in an afternoon and others read one step a day. There is no test and no deadline.
Is this investing advice?
No. The Learning Paths are educational only. They explain how investing works and point you to tools to model your own scenarios. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell any security.