WOMAN: Most of us know that saving for retirement is important.

Many Americans put a lot of thought and effort into planning for their retirement, but some people find it difficult to get started or they aren't sure how to invest the money they do put aside.

GRANT: IRAs provide a way to increase the money available for you at retirement by sheltering your savings from taxes.

Whether an IRA is a major piece of your retirement-saving strategy or only a part of it, it makes good sense to understand how IRAs work and the rules for keeping the tax benefits that go with them.

On our webpage, www.IRS.gov/ep, we've pulled together a broad range of IRA information to help you prepare for retirement.

For business owners, there's information on SEP and simple IRA plans.

We hope you'll find it useful, and we welcome your comments.

WOMAN: The IRS also has two free electronic newsletters on retirement plans.

"Employee Plans News" provides information of interest to tax and benefits professionals.

"Retirement News for Employers" is for business owners.

You can subscribe by clicking on the newsletter button.