How to make up for a lost 401k match at a new job
Losing an employer 401(k) match leaves a major gap in retirement savings, often causing confusion about how much extra percentage to contribute or whether to use a taxable brokerage account. Without guidance, savers struggle to balance higher contribution targets with fears of complex tax implications.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Redirecting a portion of a salary increase into the 401k
- 2Following standard personal finance wiki directives to prioritize HSA and Roth IRA before returning to the 401k
- 3Maxing out tax-advantaged 401k contributions instead of putting money into a taxable brokerage
- 4Investing in a regular taxable brokerage account
- 5Maxing out an individual Roth IRA
- 6Redirecting extra mortgage payments toward retirement accounts
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“However, I know with the loss of match that I need to make up that gap.”source ↗
“What do you recommend? Should I put in 12%?”source ↗
“I (31f) am a little stumped on what to do for retirement. I’ve only been i the US working for 4 years - my work doesn’t have a 401k plan unfortunately (very small company) and changing jobs is not an option rn.”source ↗
“Should I be investing in a brokerage? I am terrified of the tax implications.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2Employer messed up my 401k start date and lost match
- 5Why can't I withdraw my 401k after leaving a job?
- 6Boss hasn't paid me in months
- 3How to handle 401(k) contributions and employer matches when changing jobs
- 2Will withdrawing a 401k make my parent lose Medicaid?
- 4Why did my retirement account balance drop over the years?