To save the most for retirement, you need all the help you can get. But when it comes to their 401(k)s, many Americans don't take maximum advantage of one simple strategy.
In the following video from The Motley Fool's series on retirement investing, sponsored by TD Ameritrade, Fool consumer finance expert Dayana Yochim talks to Dan Caplinger, the Fool's director of investment planning, about why you should take full advantage of employer matching of 401(k) contributions. Dan notes that an employer match is essentially free money that gets added to your 401(k) balance on top of your own contributions. Dan points out that you generally have to work a minimum length of time in order to become fully entitled to the match, but it can be a big windfall for those who stay in their jobs for more than a few years. Dan recommends that most employees should contribute at least enough to take full advantage of the match, which often requires contributing somewhere between 3% and 6% of your salary.
