While you might not be at the point of deciding exactly what you want retirement to look like, you can be sure you’ll need income after your nonworking years. With pensions largely going by the wayside, retiring comfortably will be based largely on how well you save.
If you have access to a 401(k) plan or other workplace retirement plan, the goal should be to max out on your contributions as soon as you can. (Some advisors recommend paying off credit-card debt before putting anything into retirement savings.) For 2017, the maximum is $18,000 for 401(k) contributions (and an extra $6,000 catch-up contribution for those age 50 and older)
If you can’t afford to max it out, try to at least contribute enough to get any matching company contribution available. “Otherwise you’re walking away from free money,” Krell said.