<prompt> Human: I currently have 15 of my paycheck going into a traditional 401k with Fidelity. Any financial advisor I have ever seen on TV says you should only contribute up to your company match 6 in my case and you should put the rest into an IRA. What are the benefits of an IRA over a 401k, and how do I go about opening one?  <response>: The main reason is that most 401k plans have very limited, often high fee choices of funds. By opening up an IRA you have almost unlimited choices of what funds to buy. Also, depending on your current income a Roth IRA may be a better choice for you pay taxes now instead of deferring the taxes. You can open an IRA just about anywhere. Vanguard is highly regarded due to their very low fee mutual funds and ETFs. 