<prompt> Human: Ok, Im having a discussion with a coworker about which one we should max out first.Our employer doesnt match, and everything Ive read on here tells me to max my IRA before the 401k, but I cant really find a solid reason why besides more flexibility and lower fees maybe.Can anyone articulate the advantages?  <response>: Lower fees is the primary reason. Many 401ks have fees in the 1 range. You can find IRAs with fees in the .07 range. 