# How much do you put away into your 401(k) account? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 15, 2004, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866 "2004-11-15T15:44:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/1 "2004-11-15T15:44:18Z")
I was wondering… What percentage of your income do you folks put away into your 401(k) accounts? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/2 "2004-11-15T15:49:37Z")
10%. Age 35 Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/3 "2004-11-15T15:53:17Z")
Sadly, I only put in 3% right now, which is the max I can get matched. I used to put in 11% until I got poor and needed the money. Yeah yeah, save the lecture, I know it’s stupid. I plan to up the contrib rate soon as I am no longer quite so poor. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/4 "2004-11-15T16:00:13Z")
12% (5% of which is matched). Age 23. I wanna retire while I can still enjoy life 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/5 "2004-11-15T16:07:28Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > I was wondering… What percentage of your income do you folks put away into your 401(k) accounts? 13% (including a 4% employer match). ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/6 "2004-11-15T16:17:27Z")
12%. 43 years old. ---
**Author:** ![Leonard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@Leonard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leonard)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/7 "2004-11-15T16:17:39Z")
5% (all that I can get matched), though I’m probably going to raise it next time. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/8 "2004-11-15T16:22:27Z")
20% including a 5% employer match. I’m 45, and plan to retire from this job at 56. ---
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/9 "2004-11-15T16:24:43Z")
I’m turning my contribution back on soon, but it’s going to be only 1%. I’m 36, and being swamped by “life”. And bad decisions. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/10 "2004-11-15T16:26:10Z")
None. I was putting 1/4 of my paycheck into mutual funds till last year, when all hell broke loose, and now I need every cent. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/11 "2004-11-15T16:28:26Z")
4% plus a 3% employer match. 33 years old with too many medical bills to save more. ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/12 "2004-11-15T16:32:16Z")
8% of my income with a 2% match. 10% of husband’s income with no match. We’re 27 and 28. ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/13 "2004-11-15T16:54:21Z")
15% - employer match of 6% Susan ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/14 "2004-11-15T17:23:35Z")
16% and my employer matches 5. I’m twenty-ni, er, thirty. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/15 "2004-11-15T17:27:38Z")
15% with an employer match dollar for dollar for 5%, and I think .25 Cents for every dollar for another 5%. I want to retire as soon as possible. Here Fishy, Fishy! ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/16 "2004-11-15T17:30:23Z")
I’m currently doing 12% of my income, with 100% employee match, though last year I was doing 8%, and the year before 15%. I expect to bump it back up to 15% in the next few months. I’m not sure what my husband is contributing to his. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/17 "2004-11-15T17:31:38Z")
8% with half matched, and I will be raising it to 10% before the end of the year. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/18 "2004-11-15T17:33:20Z")
4%, all matched. 46 ya. I should be contributing more, dammit! ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/19 "2004-11-15T17:38:43Z")
At 22, I did 15% with a 50% employer match, or another 7.5%. That tapered down over the next four years as I invested more in the employee stock purchase plan rather than the 401k. Now at 27 with a different employer, it’s 10%, with another 5% match. I intend to raise that to 15% or 20% by the end of next year. ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866/20 "2004-11-15T17:50:36Z")
2%, which is what is matched. My husband does 3% I think, no match. We also both have loans out of our 401(k)s from when we bought the house last year, so some of each paycheck goes into them from that. We’re both 28. We’ll raise them as soon as we kill the remainder of our credit card debt or pay off those loans. Oh, and I almost forgot, my company tosses in an extra 6% or so at the end of each year, as a bonus/retirement plan sort of thing. After six years at this job I have quite the nice little nest egg because of those. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-put-away-into-your-401-k-account/274866.md?page=2)