<prompt> Human: Ive recently have been getting my financial stuff in order and have been trying to figure out where I should be optimally investing my money. My employer offers a 401k through Wells Fargo not a fan of their fees, but I have no choice and they automatically put in 3, no matching required which is awesome, and do not get any larger match if I contribute any of my own money. I currently have 100 of the contributions going into a target date fund which Im OK with. Since Im already getting the benefit of an employee contribution without having to put in any of my own money I was thinking about contributing to a Vanguard index fund or a Roth somewhere else with lower fees. Or should I just stick with the 401k and contribute more there?  <response>: I was thinking about contributing to a Vanguard index fund or a Roth somewhere else with lower fees. Just to be clear, thats not an or. A Roth IRA is an account, in which you hold funds, like Vanguard index funds. You can also hold index funds outside an IRA, but thats generally worse long-term.Other than that, just follow through the list that uibhyx14 points out and the FAQ The FAQ even explicitly mentions your situation: What if my employer contributes to an account on my behalf regardless of whether I contribute or not? You are very fortunate. Move to step 3. 