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12% 401(k) Contribution - What to do? [USA] (kbin.social)

submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by lqdrchrd@kbin.social to c/personalfinance@lemmy.ml

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Hi everyone, I recently landed a new job where the base 401(k) contribution for all FTEs is 12% of your salary. This is regardless of your contribution, with no additional match. I realize that this is unusual for most people and it is for me as well. In my last job, I got up to a 6% match so I maxed that out and didn't think on it any further.

I currently contribute an additional 5% on top of the 12% that my employer provides, but got chatting with a coworker who mentioned that they were advised to take that money and, since it was not being matched, put it into the stock market instead. I'm open to learning, but have very little knowledge of stocks, cryptocurrency, or likely any other potential option you may suggest.

For a little extra information, I am in my mid-twenties, earn mid-five-figures/year, have little saved for retirement right now, and am open to any suggestions you may have.

So, what would you do in my situation? Thanks for any replies!

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[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

The main concerns here are:

taxes - 401k contributions defer taxes (or prepay for a Roth account), and there's only so much tax-advantaged space available
investment options - 401k plans have limited fund selection, but many are good enough

If you're planning to invest 5% regardless, choose the account that gives you the best tax advantages that matches your investment plan. For most, that'll be the 401k in an S&P 500 or total US stock market fund. If the fees aren't too bad, I'd absolutely go with the 401k.

If you're in the 12% or below bracket, I recommend Roth if it's available. If you're above, deferring taxes is probably the better plan. If your funds are super expensive (say, >0.5% fees for an index fund), you might be better off in a taxable account.