is a 457 b plan better than a 401 k plan 
for all intents and purposes a 457 b is just as good as a 401 k plan if your employer is a public agency or a nonprofit it s probably your best option for retirement savings assuming you opt for a traditional plan rather than a roth plan you ll be lowering your taxable income from year to year while plunking that money into a long term investment account the money won t be taxed until you retire and start taking withdrawals 2 if it s a roth you ll pay the taxes up front and usually will owe no taxes on the money you deposited or the profits it earns over the years 17on the downside your contributions will probably not be matched by your employer but that s just reality in the nonprofit sector not a rule of the plan 