The world of retirement savings highlights the stark contrast between between the haves and the have nots on the employment front.

Somewhere around half of us work for employers that offer a 401(k) plan, while the other half of us don't have any retirement plan options through work.

Employers that are large enough to offer a 401(k) plan often mandate that employees contribute to it. In addition, they may even periodically bump up the level of your contributions. Clark is in favor of this heavy-handed approach because it forces at least half of us to save for retirement.

Yet the danger is that people tend to go to one extreme or the other when they have a 401(k) at work. Either they put all their money into their employer's stock (a no-no in Clark's book) or else they go into ultra "safe" holdings that won't keep pace with inflation.

Those of us who don't work for an employer that offers a 401(k) plan have to be more diligent about saving for the future. The responsibility is our entirely.

Many listeners have heard Clark talk about opening a Roth account. You can open one with as little as $100 through Charles Schwab or absolutely nothing at all if you commit to regular contributions of $50 every pay period through T. Rowe Price.

Remember, if you don't have that employer forcing you into a 401(k), you might never do it. Do what it takes to be the master of your own destiny.