No matter your age, investing can help you work toward building a safety net for your retirement years.

In short, the time to take control of your future is now. Whether you’re just starting out or find yourself trying to make up for lost time, there’s an investment strategy for you.

Investing in your 20s: Getting started

In your 20s, you’re just getting started — at just about everything. Retirement probably seems too far away, but one of the smartest moves you can make financially in your 20s is to start investing for your long-term financial goals.

Many of us make our first investment decisions as we enter the workforce. If you haven’t already, enroll in your employer’s retirement plan. They may even match your contributions, increasing your savings even more.

Try to start funding these accounts as soon as you get that first paycheck — even if it’s as little as $25 per pay period.

It might be a challenge to set aside money now, but any contribution toward your retirement, at any age, will impact both your future and your stress level thanks to compounding interest. This is a long-term investment for retirement, so consider a portfolio of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds for growth consistent with your risk tolerance and retirement fund goal.

Investing in your 30s: Hitting your stride

For those who haven’t started, in your 30s it’s crucial to make a habit of putting money away. The goal at this stage is to work on increasing retirement contributions in your employer-sponsored plan — up to the allowable maximum, if possible. Consider establishing other retirement accounts, like a Roth IRA or Traditional IRA, if it fits your budget.

If you did get started in your 20s, you may want to consider how aggressive your investment strategy is. Is this the time to continue making high-risk, high-reward investments or do your current goals and responsibilities mean making safer investment choices?

Evaluate your investment allocation each year to make sure it’s still in line with your risk tolerance. Proper diversification between stocks, bonds and money market funds will help control the risk within your portfolio. Investing more money in stocks can increase your risk, while bonds and money market funds are typically lower-risk investments.

Investing in your 40s: Steady earning

These are your peak earning years, so use any pay raises and bonuses to boost your investment savings. Your retirement and investment accounts will have likely grown in value over the years, through monthly contributions and compounding. Focus on maximizing your retirement contributions each year, and diversifying your investment portfolio.

You may feel confident about making investment decisions on your own. Congratulations! But it won’t hurt to get a second opinion. Contact a trusted financial partner to review your investment allocation for proper diversification. They might suggest investment options that are better suited to your current situation and future plans. Make sure you don’t invest in something you don’t fully understand.

Approaching retirement?

As you approach retirement, think about shifting out of aggressive stock funds into bonds and money market funds to reduce your portfolio risk. The goal at this point is to ensure your savings last as long as needed, providing the cash flow needed to fund your lifestyle.

Years of diligent investing have hopefully allowed you to build a substantial retirement nest egg. If not, talk to a trusted financial partner for help mapping out a strategy to help you reach your goals.