Ask an Advisor: I'm Juggling Investing, Saving and Paying Off Debt. How Do I Build Wealth Without Falling Behind?

I'm in my early 30s, finally earning a stable income, but I'm juggling investing, saving and paying down debt. How should I prioritize my money to build long-term wealth without falling behind?

This is the fun (and at times, frustration) of financial planning in your 30s and beyond: what to prioritize. The great news is that you're finally earning a stable income, and with that comes freedom of choice. Now is the time to get granular about what you want to accomplish with your money, like buying a home, starting a business, traveling or retiring at a certain age. The more specific you can be, the better. These details will help determine precisely how much you'll need to have saved or invested and when.

Wherever you are on your wealth-building journey, it can help to have a financial professional in your corner. Connect with an advisor for free .

Without insight into your financial figures, I can't say exactly where you should be putting each dollar to accomplish your goals. Instead, I'll share a general framework for wealth building that you can adapt to fit your circumstances. Hopefully it will help you take the right next step.

The best place to start building wealth is in your employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k), 403(b) or 457(b), if you have one. If you work for a company with fewer than 100 employees, it might be a SIMPLE IRA. In any case, employers often incentivize workers to save by "matching" their contributions up to a certain dollar amount or percentage of their salary. This is a benefit you don't want to miss for the simple reason that is the closest thing to a freebie in investing.

Say your employer offers a 100% match on up to 3% of employee compensation. With a salary of $100,000, for example, your employer will add $1 to your account for every $1 you save, up to $3,000. Or you might be offered a partial match, where your employer contributes 50 cents for every $1 you save, up to a maximum percentage of your pay. These contributions stay in your tax-sheltered account, growing and compounding for decades until you can start penalty-free withdrawals at age 59 ½.

Check with your company to find out if it offers a match and what its matching formula is. Then, consider contributing at least the minimum to ensure you get the full match. Be sure to review the vesting schedule , too: You will always own the contributions you make from your own paycheck, but the matched contributions may not become fully yours until a year or more into your employment. If you leave the company before the vested date, you'll forfeit those dollars.

Try out this calculator to see if you're contributing enough to make the most of your match. It will be the easiest and only guaranteed return you'll get in investing. If you're getting the full match and have room to save more, aim for 10% to 20% of your gross pay, or up to the IRS contribution limit ($24,500 for 2026).