Employer Matched Contributions

Better known as the 401k is an amount that is taken from your paycheck and put into a savings account.  Many employers match the amount that his employees put into his 401 although this is not required by law. This money is actually free money that you get put into your savings account. 

For this reason it is a good idea to consider contributing as least the amount to get the full match. If you take from this you will be taxed as if it was an ordinary income and if taken before you reach the age of fifty-nine and a half, those withdrawals will be penalized ten percent.

If it is possible for you to match your employer’s limit, or go over that amount, so much the better for you. Depending on your retirement goals, you might need to do this anyway.  But there are limits on how much you can annually contribute and for the year of 2010, that limit is now at sixteen thousand, five hundred dollars.

As with any financial decision in your life, you should consider all your options and decide which is best for you. What works for one person doesn’t always work for the next, so scout out all your options and choose the best one for you.