<prompt> Human: I am approaching the 401k max for this year of 17k. Can I start investing in an IRA until I hit that max for this year? Or is there something else that I can invest in that helps with taxes?Since Ive gotten used to having this money taken out of my paycheck I want to keep saving it somewhere rather than have it show up in my checking account and then Ill just spend it on something stupid.  <response>: Can I start investing in an IRA until I hit that max for this year? You can invest through an IRA whenever you want. The two are not related in any way. 