Michele had trouble saving. She seemed to always be waiting for her next paycheck. She never had enough to save for a rainy day like her Mom did. She used to make about $35,000 as a shop manager but with federal, social security, Medicare and state taxes, unemployment, disability, and health insurance, she was not able to put anything away for retirement. Years ago, her local tax preparer suggested she use her tax refund to create a retirement fund. Usually Michele would use her refund to pay bills or buy something special. The tax preparer said that if she agreed to start an IRA with $2,000 of her refund, she would be able to increase her refund-Uncle Sam would help her save. The amount she invested would reduce her income and make her refund larger. The $2,000 could grow over time, if she left it in stock mutual funds in her IRA account. Over time, it has grown large enough that she will have enough for retirement. I will help you start in 1 hour.