<prompt> Human: Im torn if I should invest in my employer 401K. Currently they offer no matching on contributions so it comes down to if its worth putting on the money in and getting the tax savings at the end of the year or just putting money into a Venguard or betterment Roth and wait for them to hopefully add matching in the future. According to the calculations Ive done if I put in 6 my check will be 100 less per pay period and Im looking at a tax savings of 1200.  <response>: It really comes down to the funds offered in the 401k. In the majority of cases, the funds offered in a 401k are a small subset and therefore usually sub-optimal of what you have access to in an IRA. For that reason, its generally recommended you max an IRA before contributing to an unmatched 401k. Of course, if you end up reaching your contribution limit for the IRA then definitely start contributing to the 401k. 