[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

A 401k would be offered by your employer, and you would need to talk to HR to find out if they do employee matching. If they do, it's free money. Normal match limit is 4-6% of base salary.

I've not gone beyond step 4, so I haven't had to figure out 5.

401k, IRA, and Roth absolutely can be stock market. Index funds are essentially very low cost mutual funds, which is why everyone advises these instead of picking individual stocks or paying a ton for a managed portfolio (managed portfolios don't outperform the market).

If you go the 401k route, be advised that the default fund is usually a managed fund with high fees, so you will have to log into the website and choose something else.

The reason investing in the stock market is #8 on the list is because it has no special tax advantages like the other options. That said, it is a way to keep your money fairly liquid should you need it quickly. Can't withdraw from an IRA without incurring a penalty.

Ya, I don't have an employer that offers 401k's. I get offered 0 benefits here. No health insurance, etc. Just salary. There is no human relations department either.