Planning to Retire

Get Your 401(k) Match

By Emily Brandon

Posted: December 23, 2008

The most common 401(k) match is 50 cents per dollar up to the first 6 percent of pay. If you make $50,000 a year and manage to tuck away $3,000, you can get an extra $1,500 added to your nest egg tax free (until retirement). But some financially struggling companies like General Motors, Kodak, and Frontier Airlines have suspended their 401(k) matches this year. Plus, 4 percent of companies plan to eliminate the match next year, according to a Watson Wyatt survey of 248 companies in October. So, it's particularly important to get the match while you can.

More New Year's resolutions for retirement:

Delay retirement

Put off claiming Social Security

Avoid early withdrawals

Scrutinize 401(k) fees

Determine your risk tolerance

Rebalance your portfolio

Evaluate your target-date fund

Pay off your mortgage

Get a pension

Downsize

Bump up your contributions

More money-related New Year’s resolutions

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Planning to Retire

Planning to Retire

Reporter Emily Brandon tells you how to get ready financially for retirement and to make your golden years the best they can be.

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