<prompt> Human: Forgive me for this question -- but yes it is free money in the sense that you do get the company to match your contributions up to 6... but you have no way of actually accessing that money until you are 65, correct? Without taxes and penalties that are greater then or equal to the 6 match, right? So is it not feasible that having 5000 now is better then 5300 when youre 65 years old? Of course there are other factors like compounding interest, but I feel like Ive been beat over the head with contributing to the 401k up to the company match because Its Free Money, You Idiot! when in reality its a little more complicated then that?  <response>: You should be saving for your retirement anyway. Its free money in that respect. Too many people treat their 401k as a piggy bank. Thats wrong, its for your retirement. 