If you’re a freelancer, or work for a small company, or for some other reason don’t have a healthy start on a retirement plan, Smart Money has some suggestions for how to jump-start your investment before you hit your golden years.

The first thing to do, if you’re working for a small company, is ask the owner directly if he or she would be willing to sponsor one:

“Ninety percent of the time, a small-business owner doesn’t have some type of retirement plan because he or she doesn’t know what’s out there or no one has asked for one,” says Theodore Lanzaro, managing partner at Shelton, Conn.-based Lanzaro CPA.

Otherwise, look into IRAs, or go with the do-it-yourself approach by opening an individual brokerage account and investing in growth stocks.

“Alternatives for Those Without Retirement Plans” [SmartMoney]
(Photo: Getty)

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