Retirement might seem far in the distance for young workers, but a staggering 44% of 24-to-34 year olds don't know how to reach their retirement goals, whileonlya third have calculated how much money they will need to continue their current lifestyles. It's never too early to begin planning for your golden years. Here are five expert tips for young adults to get ahead:

1. Develop a clear plan.

Barrie Christman at Principal Financial Group encourages young workers to set a number goal for retirement funds to serve as a powerful motivation. To obtain adequate savings by age 65, she suggests saving enough to have a retirement account balance that is a third of your current employment income by age 30, but twice your then level of employment income byage 40.

Christman adds that most people need to save between 11% and 15% of their salaries over the course of their careers.

Online retirement planning calculators or help from a financial professional can be useful tools when evaluating your retirement goals.

2. Start saving today.

As a young investor, your investments could potentially experience massive growth thanks to compounding interest. Someone who starts saving later in life would have to contribute a lot more money to catch up.

Young workers should enroll in your company's 401(k) program. If your employer offers a match program, contribute enough to get the full match and take advantage of what is essentially "free money."

Certified Financial Planner Jon Ulin prods younger workers to save up to $5,000 a year in a Traditional IRA or Roth IRA as a first step if they do not have an employer-based savings plan or are self-employed.

According to Ulin, the principal contributions to a Roth IRA can be accessed penalty free at any time, potentially making it a more viable option for workers who need less of a tax incentive today.

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Five Steps Young People Should Take to Prepare for Retirement