What is the best way to save for retirement?

My job offers no benefits like 401k ect. I need to do something for retirement but I am not sure what is the best way to save. I can only work part time, as I take care of my granddaughter. thanks!!

Public Comments

1. Open a Roth IRA......use a low fee no load mutual fund family like Vanguard. Diversify with s/p 500 index, some foreign, some small cap. funds.
2. Talk to a local advisor about starting a Roth IRA. Setup automatic investment into the Roth so that you can "set it and forget it".
3. Roth IRA's Check out Suze Orman.com She is a wealth of knowledge & just wrote a book specifically for women.
4. Everyone is right, go with a Roth IRA, then the question is what funds do you put your contributions into. Look for Indexed stock funds, that mirror the Wilshire 5000 and the S&P 500. Go to vanguard.com, they are generally regarded as the best and cheapest (no association, I just use them myself). Also check out www.daveramsey.com, www.suzeorman.com, and www.brucewilliams.com for some good advice.
5. Anyone can create an IRA. This is your best option. A 401K offers the advantage of using pre-tax dollars. This means that it also lowers your taxable income. With an IRA you have to wait until tax time to recover the part that was taxed.