Traditional IRA

A deferred-comp retirement account for state/local government and some non-profit employees. Key feature: no 10% early-withdrawal penalty after separating from service — making it the FIRE hacker's secret weapon.

A self-employed retirement account that lets you contribute up to 25% of net self-employment income ($69,000 cap in 2026). Simple to open; no Roth option.

Employer-sponsored retirement account. Contributions are pre-tax (traditional) or post-tax (Roth). Look for employer match — that's free money.

A 401(k) for self-employed people with no employees. Allows both employee and employer contributions, supports Roth, and often beats a SEP IRA for max contribution room.