Saving for retirement can feel overwhelming as you get closer to the end of your career, but for those with decades to go, retirement is often something that’s not important in the here and now.
However, waiting until you’re older — or have a higher income — to start saving for retirement can mean losing valuable time for your investments to grow. If you haven’t yet started saving for retirement, one of the best things you can do to kickstart your savings is to take full advantage of your employer’s 401(k) matching program.
And if you’re one of the more than 62 million American workers who don’t have access to an employer-matching program (1), read on to see why finding a workplace that does offer matching might be the best financial decision you’ll make in 2026.
Those in Gen Z whose careers are just getting started might put off saving for retirement until they’re in their 30s or 40s, but that choice can mean potentially leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table — especially if your employer offers a 401(k) match.
With matching programs, participating employers match a specified amount of the contributions that you make to your 401(k). This is why these programs are often referred to as “free money” from your employer.
You’ll have to speak to your employer’s human resources department to find out the specifics of how your company’s plan works. Some employers will match up to a percentage of your pay: for example, $0.50 per dollar on the first 6% of pay, according to Vanguard (2). Others may offer a tiered match, such as a dollar-for-dollar match on the first 3% of pay, and $0.50 per dollar on the next 2%.
Your employer might also have a maximum dollar cap on their contributions.
Read More: 5 essential money moves to make once you’ve saved $50,000
For lower-income workers, or those who are just beginning their careers, it can be hard to fit retirement savings into their budgets. But if you’re in this cohort, tucking a portion of your paychecks aside for retirement can go a long way, as even small contributions can add up over time.
If your employer has a match program with your 401(k), you can effectively double your annual contribution. For example, if you’re earning $34,000 a year and you decide to contribute 3% of your salary to your 401(k), that’s $1,020 saved per year for your retirement. And if your employer offers a 3% dollar-for-dollar match, that’s another $1,020 that can be added to your 401(k), giving you $2,040 saved for the year.
Investing always comes with a certain amount of risk, but if you are able to leave your money invested for a longer period of time, you can weather the ups and downs of the stock market. Take the S&P 500, for example. Launched in 1957, this index has been a stock market benchmark for decades, and the average annual return has been roughly 10% throughout its existence (3).
Based on the hypothetical scenario above, if you were able to take advantage of your employer’s 3% dollar-for-dollar match and add an extra $1,020 to your 401(k), a 10% annual return could grow that match to roughly $1,643 in five years.
In 10 years, that match would grow to $2,645. In 20 years, it’ll grow to $6,862. And in 40 years, you’ll have roughly $46,164, and that all came from your employer matching your 3% 401(k) contribution for a single year. Now, just imagine what your 401(k) could look like if you invested a portion of your salary with an employer match for many years.
Young workers may choose not to participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan because they may not think they’ll be at their particular job for very long, but missing out on even a year of investing can have big consequences. Plus, you might end up staying at your job longer than you initially thought — and, if you happen to change jobs, you can always roll your savings into another retirement account.
It can be much harder for lower-income workers and young people to save for retirement, but giving your investments time to grow — and boosting them by taking advantage of an employer match — can go a long way when retirement finally arrives.
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Economic Innovation Group (1); Vanguard (2); Fidelity (3).
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
