<prompt> Human: Hi all, sorry if this is a repost, I couldnt find anything on it in the search. Im just starting my first 401k with my employer, and I was prepared to start trying to contribute according to the model most people have espoused here: contribute an amount equal to the max your employer will match, then start putting your investments elsewhere. At least I think thats right?My employer doesnt have a max percentage they match, but they only match 15 of any contribution. So I can contribute 100 and theyll put in 15, or I can put in 1,000 and theyll put in 150. Im not sure if I like this or not, but it definitely confuses my plan a bit. I dont see how there could be a target number to contribute, but maybe Im missing something. Should I skip this 401k and try to contribute to an IRA instead? Or take advantage of the matching they do offer and just pick a number Im comfortable with? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!  <response>: The reason people say to max out your employer match is because its typically a far greater return on your money than youll get anywhere else. For example, you could put 1,000 in a bank account earning 1 interest. A year later youll have about 1,010.You could put 1,000 in the stock market, which is often quoted as returning something like 7 per year, so a year later youll have about 1,070 thats not really how it works, but lets just pretend for illustrative purposes.Or you could put 1,000 in your 401k. You have a 15 match. So instantly your 1,000 investment turns into 1,150. And on top of that, 401k contributions reduce your tax liability this year, which is like a little extra bonus - if youre in the 25 tax bracket, for instance, then putting 1,000 in a 401k saves you 250 on taxes this year. Absolutely take advantage of the match up to the max you can contribute. 