<prompt> Human: I had a few years of total upheaval and got totally wiped out. Ive been busting my butt and finally got a good job, but Im starting over with literally close to 0. I dont make a lot in salary -- just 40k. But I get quarterly commissions and they can range from anywhere from 5k to 50k. Almost everyone here is making pretty well into six figures 150k-250k; it probably takes 2 years to get to that level.Ive been here 6 months and just got the 401k paperwork from the head office. Its with Fidelity. Never had a 401k before. What do I do? Is it worth it to start a 401k at 39 years old? Should I do self directed?Ive heard you can use your 401k to invest in physical real estate -- good idea?I feel like its free money, but I also feel like Im too old to compound the principle enough and should use the to do something with more upsiderisk to make up for lost time. Any advice or insight is very much appreciated, thank you.  <response>: You would be surprised how many people dont start seriously thinking about retirement savings until they are in their 40s. Yes, you are behind, but its not too late. 20-30 years of compounding can be very powerful. Contribute, get the match, invest in mutual funds that give you globally diversified stock exposure.The most troubling thing you said was that you needed to make up for lost time by getting higher returns. Forget this. There is no shortcut, and for every person who has gotten rich on a crash, risky idea there are a hundred others who have lost everything. Get a 401k established and grow your balance before you start looking at non-traditional investments. 