"She's more of a saver. I'm not, but she keeps me in check," said Glenn, an analyst who wouldn't mind keeping up with the latest high-tech gadgets if his wife didn't restrain him.

"I like to buy that stuff, but my wife says I can't," he said.

The Mililani couple has a combined annual income exceeding $100,000. They save voraciously and have almost no credit-card debt.

While they do owe money on their car and hold a student loan, their debt burden is relatively minor in relation to their income. They also have mortgage payments, but their house has risen in value, so they could sell it and pocket a hefty amount.

Not bad for a Gen-X couple: He's 32, she's 27.

While disciplined savings is a virtue, it can be too much of a good thing. Instead of socking away cash blindly, the Inibas need help figuring out exactly how much they should set aside and where they should invest to meet various financial goals.

They also have to tap fully the benefits of tax-sheltered accounts, which they have not been doing.

Glenn would like to retire at 50. His wife is targeting 55 so she can get the maximum pension benefits from her job as a phone company sales representative.

They would like to maintain their current lifestyle in retirement, which is comfortable but not luxurious. They tend to splurge most on travel, heading to Las Vegas two to three times a year, plus a bigger trip. Last year they went to South Korea.

While they're not extreme tightwads, the Inibas don't like to spend money on things they consider a bad value, such as $9 movie tickets. Last weekend, they went to the movies for the first time in a year. Most of the time, they prefer to rent DVDs.

Alika Garcia, a personal financial adviser for American Express Financial Advisors in Honolulu, commends the couple for their thrifty ways. But he also sees room for improvement.

"People tend to save out of fear," he said. "They don't know the right amount to put away."

Glenn and Allison Iniba recently upgraded to a more expensive home in Mililani.

The Inibas consult with Alika Garcia, a financial adviser with American Express, on how to meet their long-term financial goals. Photos by Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Half of their investments should be in large-cap stocks, 10 percent in long-term and intermediate bonds, 23 percent in short-term, fixed-income securities and 17 percent in small-cap to mid-cap stocks.

The couple can adjust the allocation according to how much risk they can tolerate, he said. They also should review their portfolio periodically to account for life changes, such as a new job or shifts in pension benefits.

As for their debt, Garcia recommends paying off the car loan first, since it carries the highest interest rate of their obligations and interest payments aren't tax-deductible. They should work on their student loan next, then their mortgage.

When the car loan is paid off, Glenn estimates they should be able to save 34 percent of their take-home pay, up from the current 21 percent.

The Inibas also should review the taxes they pay or have withheld, starting with a few simple steps.

Since the couple gets thousands of dollars back in tax refunds each year, they essentially are giving the government a big interest-free loan. That money could be used more profitably in investments that provide a decent return.

Garcia said the Inibas might wish to boost the number of exemptions they claim on their W-2s to lower the amount of taxes withheld. Currently, Glenn claims one exemption and his wife, none.

The financial adviser also suggested the couple look into opening a Roth IRA, a tax-free individual retirement account.

Since it's tax-free, the Roth should be used to house investments with the potential to make the highest returns, because they would bypass capital gains taxes, Garcia said. Glenn is considering using the Roth as a vehicle to trade individual stocks. He currently likes Microsoft, Wal-Mart and Macromedia.

Garcia said it's also a good idea to pay up to the maximum allowed on Allison's 401(k) retirement account at work, since her employer matches her contributions. And Glenn should join his company's 401(k) program, which he hasn't done because contributions aren't matched. Garcia said the analyst would still derive tax benefits that could make joining worthwhile. Named after a section of the IRS code, the 401(k) deducts money from paychecks before tax, lowering the taxable amount.

If a worker is earning $3,000 before taxes and decides to contribute $200 from each paycheck to his 401(k), he will be taxed on $2,800 instead of $3,000.

And the money grows in the account tax-deferred, meaning he'll pay taxes only when he starts withdrawing money. During retirement, he probably won't be making as much money and should fall into a lower tax bracket.

Garcia also asked the couple to explore potential tax write-offs, including their home high-speed Internet connection, since Glenn sometimes works from home.

Another area they can adjust: disability insurance. While the Inibas had the foresight to protect their income by taking out disability insurance, their coverage could be improved.

Garcia thought they could look at increasing Glenn's coverage, since his income has risen significantly since they first took out insurance and they have higher mortgage costs now with an upgrade to a more expensive home. They also should consider dropping Allison's disability insurance, since her employer provides it, the financial adviser said.

One big perk they have is Allison's benefits package from her employer, which provides health insurance for employees and their families after retirement. That alone is a major benefit that allows the Inibas to save less than they ordinarily would need to do.

"That's one huge advantage they have that most people don't," Garcia said.

After meeting with the adviser, the Inibas found out they were saving more than enough for their retirement needs.

After making some changes, they could free up more cash to meet short-term goals, such as buying a condominium for investment or shouldering the costs of raising a family.

And who knows, they might go to the movies more than once a year now.