Clark talks so much about the Roth IRA that Christa often refers to it as his "girlfriend." But only 19% of Americans have a Roth account -- despite the penny-pincher's enthusiasm. The benefit of a Roth is that you put money in and it grows tax-free until you spend it tax-free in retirement. This is markedly different than a regular IRA or a 401(k), both of which will be taxed in your golden years.

Clark is always upset if an insurance salesperson sells someone an annuity when the customer hasn't put a single penny into a Roth. You always want to max out your Roth before thinking about other places to put your money.

In general, you can make Roth contributions of up to $5,000/year -- unless you're over 50, in which case you can contribute up to $6,000. Most Americans are eligible to do a Roth -- unless they earn more than $100,000 as a single person or more than $159,000 as a married couple.

Some employers also offer an option called a Roth 401(k). If you're a saver, you can put in your after-tax dough up to the regular limits of your 401(k). By doing this, you increase the amount you save per year by about 35%

Clark also wants to make you aware of a unique tweak available at the moment called a non-deductible IRA. This year, you can contribute the max before Dec. 31. Do it again next year, and then in 2010 you can convert the $10,000 (or $12,000 if you're older than 50) into a Roth that will never be taxed.

If you make less than $100,000/year, right now you can convert your IRA to a Roth and pay tax on what the account is worth in today's market. This is, perhaps, one of the few advantages of the current market decline.