If your employer matches contributions, dollar for dollar, up to 6 percent of your salary, first make sure you contribute at least 6 percent to each paycheck. However, the real world is usually not that simple. You may have a limited amount of money and may have a retirement plan at work. The amount you should save depends on your general financial plan, but you should try to invest as much as the government allows in an IRA.
That's because the more you save in a tax-advantaged account, the more tax-protected profits you can accumulate.