<prompt> Human: I just became eligible to enroll in my companys 401k program. I am 25, I make 55k annually, and this will be my first time contributing to retirement savings. Ive been told my company does 100 matching up to 15 and the woman at the investment company who handles the program recommended that I start with the Roth option for now and at some point in the future consider switching to Pre-tax. All of this is very new to me and I want to make the best decision for my current situation. I have fairly hefty student loans, a car loan, and am trying to save up to put a down payment on a house with my fiancée hopefully within the next 2-3 years. That being said, I dont want to put too much of my paycheck into retirement savings, but I also dont want to miss out on free money from my employer with the matching. The representative I spoke to recommended I start at 7 because I thought 10 seemed like a bit much. They automatically invest it in a target-date fund unless you opt otherwise. Is this dumb? Should I be contributing more heavily? Was the representatives advice about Roth vs. Pre-tax good advice? I am really out of the loop when it comes to this and could use some input. Edit: What Ive gathered so far is that I should absolutely do everything possible to contribute the max percentage for the employer matching, probably consider lowering my monthly student loan payment amounts, and the verdict is still out on Traditional vs. Roth but it doesnt seem like either option is necessarily a bad choice for my particular situation. Thank you, all! Still definitely open to more advice though if theres any more input.Assistant: 15 match at 100 is really good. You will be leaving a ton of money on the table by not taking it. I would find a way to make it work somehow.Human: But that would be over 300 out of every paycheck. I already pay around 630 monthly in student loans plus an additional 385 every 3 months, 245 for my monthly car loan, then theres rentutilities, insurance, etc. I claim 0 for withholding so all these bills would basically wipe out a full paycheck and change every month. How would I ever be able to save for a house or children?  <response>: There are very few opportunities in life to get an instant 100 return on anything. If you understand this and are explaining it correctly, it is worth minimizing other expenses to make this work in your favor. 