If your employer offers a retirement account match, contribute at minimum enough to get the full match before doing anything else. A 50–100% match is an immediate, guaranteed return on your contribution.
Every employed person with access to an employer-matched retirement account. Not using it is leaving guaranteed money unclaimed.
Find your employer's match formula (e.g., '100% match up to 5% of salary').
Set your retirement contribution to at least that percentage immediately.
Confirm the vesting schedule — some employers require years of service before the match is fully yours.
After capturing the full match, consider additional contributions to other accounts.