Money matters.

My employer offers a 401(k) plan, but doesn't do any sort of matching. What are some alternatives that I can use that will give me the most bang for my buck when it comes to saving for retirement?

--R.L. Session Via E-mail

Without an employer match, you might want to look into a Roth IRA--as long as your income doesn't exceed $120,000 per year (or $176,000 combined earnings if you're married). If you go the Roth route, you'll need to choose a firm to manage your account. Large mutual fund companies such as Charles Schwab, Fidelity, T. Rowe Price, and Vanguard each have long histories and good reputations. Relatively newer online discount brokerages such as ShareBuilder and TradeKing tout their inexpensive transaction costs and interactive communities. Before choosing a provider, take note of fees and minimum investment requirements. In general, you'll want to choose the company that offers the broadest investing flexibility and the fewest fees and restrictions.

The Roth IRA has two great features: 1) Host offer a wider array of investment choices than an employer-run 401(k) plan; you can typically pepper your portfolio with individual stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), certificates of deposit (CDs), as well as a wider menu of mutual funds. 2) Once you retire you can withdraw Roth IRA monies tax-free. IRAs do have drawbacks such as the annual contribution restrictions. If you're under age 50, you can't contribute more than $5,000 each year.

If, at some later date, your employer starts matching 401(k) contributions, you can always take part in the 401(k) while continuing to pour some money into the IRA.