I think how you can benefit depends on how the company will match you. You only benefit from the match. The major part is your own salary.

For example, if you put 10% of your salary into 401K plan, then your company match 3%, then you will have 13% of your salary in the 401K. If you company does not match, then you will only have 10%.

So whether, and how much, do your company match is the REALY BIG deal. Another point is the 401K return rato.

Let me use an example so you can compare get the feeling of it.

For example, if your monthly salary is 5000$ (before tax, etc), and you have 35 years to retire. And assume your return is 8% per year.

If you put 10% of your salary to 401K, and the company does not match at all. Then you will have about 1.14$ Million at retirement.

If you put 10% of your salary to 401K, and the company match 3%. Then you will have about 1.49$ Million at retirement.

Another point, the money is "addable" here: (a 13% 401K) = (a 10% 401K) + (a 3% 401K), since there is no tax issue during the process.

In that way, if you want to get 1.49M, you have to put more on your own if your company does not have the match. (so you put 13% yourself will get that result).

As far as I know, company match usually comes with between 0% to 6%. (Did anyone know a company match 6% these days?)

So for a fair request, if it is me, I probabillty will try to ask the company to pay me more based on the above precentage, for example 4%, depending on the location and industrial (try to ask your friends around for the exact number). Then I will do my own 401K elsewhere.

For those company who does not have 401K, I think you can get your own 401K yourself from those outside brokers. I don't have any experience about this though.

Did I make it correctly?