Your primary financial decisions revolve around launching your career, getting married, having children, buying a first home and, perhaps, paying off student loans. You’re not earning very much yet, but it’s still time to start thinking about investing for retirement. Begin thinking long-term, to realize that even if you do incur some losses, there’s plenty of time left to make them up.

During this time work with a financial advisors to create a plan that matches your growing family's needs today and in the future. For most younger people, the crucial decision is to become fully invested in your employer’s 401(k). A simple paycheck deduction makes it easy to save, and employer matches can double what you’re putting away.

One idea is to think of your retirement contributions as going into three buckets: taxable, pre-tax and post-tax. Any investment without a tax advantage, such as buying a mutual fund, is in your taxable bucket. A 401(k) or IRA, where money is typically contributed before taxes are taken from it, constitutes the pre-tax bucket. The post-tax bucket is your Roth IRA – money that had been taxed when you contribute it, but is tax-free when you withdraw it. Now is a good time to assess what your tax situation is currently and what it’s likely to be in retirement, and save accordingly.

Where will your retirement money come from? If you’re like most people, qualified-retirement plans, Social Security, personal savings and investments are expected to play a role. Once you have estimated the amount of money you may need for retirement, a sound approach involves taking a close look at your potential retirement-income sources.