Retirement Investment Order Guide for Priority Sequence (2026)
Prioritize retirement investments: emergency fund, employer match, tax-advantaged, taxable, and investment sequence.
Summary
Investment order maximizes returns. This guide explains emergency fund, employer match, and account priority.
Key Steps
- 1Emergency fund first: 3-6 months expenses in accessible savings.
- 2Employer match priority: 401(k) match is free money, maximize first.
- 3High-interest debt: pay off debts >7% interest before investing.
- 4Tax-advantaged accounts: IRA, 401(k) beyond match, HSA.
- 5Taxable accounts: additional investments after maximizing tax-advantaged.