Always get the employer match
If you take one thing from this site, take this. Capture every dollar of employer match before any other contribution decision. The match is the largest, most consistent, and most predictable return you will ever earn.
Free money beats every investment thesis
A 50 percent employer match converts every dollar you contribute into $1.50 instantly. The S&P 500 has averaged about 10 percent per year before inflation. The match wins every year, with no market risk and no waiting.
Skipping the match is not a savings decision. It is a compensation decision: you are voluntarily reducing your total pay.
A common 50 percent match up to 6 percent of a $75,000 salary, compounded for 30 years at 7 percent. That is the dollar value of just the employer's contribution, separate from your own.
If you remember nothing else
Contribute the match cap, every paycheck
Whatever percentage of salary triggers the full match, contribute exactly that. If your match is 50 percent up to 6 percent, contribute 6 percent of every paycheck.
Front load with caution
Some plans (true up plans) match every paycheck. Others true up annually. If your plan does not true up, do not max your 401k by July or you forfeit the rest of the year's match.
Check vesting before you leave
If your match is on a graded or cliff vesting schedule, leaving the company before vesting forfeits the unvested portion. ERISA caps the longest schedule at 6 years.
After the match is captured
With the match secured, the rest of the contribution order falls into place. Roth IRA next, then back to the 401k, then HSA, then taxable brokerage. The match sits at the top and never moves.