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Save for Your Future - Even if you’re just entering the workforce, it’s never too early to start thinking about your retirement. Getting a plan together now is a great way to set yourself up for financial security for your later years in life. Read on for some factors to consider now to get you started. By Kellee Terrell (Photo: JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

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The Basics - A 401K is a retirement savings plan that is offered by your employer. Each month, money is taken from your paycheck to invest in your plan. The money you put in is invested in the stock market to help you gain more money. (Photo: GettyImages)

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How Much to Invest - What you put into your 401K each month and year is up to you, but there is a maximum of what you can put in each year — $17,000. Start with 3 percent of your total salary and see if that works or if you can go even higher. (Photo: GettyImages)

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Your Employer May Match You - This has become less popular as the economy has been slowly recovering, but sometimes your employer may match the money you put into your 401K. If so, invest as much as you can, because this is free money. (Photo: Don Bayley/Getty Images)

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401K Money Is Tax-Free - There are plenty of tax breaks from investing in your 401K. The money you invest is tax deductible, meaning what you invest can be subtracted from your total income when doing your taxes, and you don’t have to pay any taxes on the money your 401K grows each year. (Photo: Aaron Horowitz/CORBIS)

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Know Who’s Managing Your Money - All of the money you are investing in your 401K is managed by a company that your employer has hired. Once you leave your job, you can roll it over to your new employer’s investing company. (Photo: Oleg Prikhodko/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Oleg Prikhodko/Getty Images

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Understand the Risks - Any time you play the stock market it can be risky. But the amount of risk you take is up to you. You have options: conservative, balanced, moderate and aggressive. It’s suggested that people in their 20s and 30s invest aggressively, taking more risks with their stocks because they are young and will be in the workplace for a much longer time. After 40, you reduce the risk of investments you make. (Photo: Tim Pannell/Corbis)

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Let Your Money Mature - You can access your money any time, but if you do so before you turn 59-and-a-half years old, there are stiff financial penalties to pay. So do not take any money out if you can help it. (Photo: Corbis)

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Live for the Future - Don’t be like the 25 percent of workers who do not invest in their company’s 401K programs. The longer you wait to invest, the less money you will have when you retire. Live for the future and think ahead. (Photo: Radius Images/Corbis)