A 401K is a long term savings plan which is designed to accumulate money towards retirement. It is so-named after the section of the Internal Revenue laws which allow this particular kind of financial planning option. 401K plans are typically only available through an employer; the money is generally taken out of the employee’s paycheck every week or month and deposited in the account.

An employee chooses the amount they want taken from their check every payday. This money is then invested in such things as money market funds, growth funds and index based stock funds, which will accumulate value over time. The maximum pre-tax amount an employee can contribute to the plan varies by year, although the amount is generally around $16,000 US Dollars (USD).

401k plans are generally safe and effective, although there are some risks as with any financial plan; if money is put in to certain more risky investments, the account may not grow as quickly as anticipated. The funds in a 401K plan are not protected by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) which safeguards the assets of most other pension plans.

One of the biggest advantages of a 401K is that many employers will match employee contributions. Supposing an employee decides to contribute 10% of their salary every month towards their 401K, their employer may choose to match this and contribute the same dollar amount themselves. Employers are not obligated to match contributions, but almost 80% of companies do to some extent.

There are several other advantages to 401K plans: they are fairly easy to understand and participate in, they often offer many different investment options, and a person can choose to invest in safe or risky options. Many 401K plans also allow the participant to change not only the percentage of their salary they are contributing, but also the investments they are allocating money to.

An employee may also borrow money from a 401K plan account. A 401K loan does not appear on a credit report and there is no restriction on what the money can be used for. However, there may be charges and fees involved in taking out the loan. An employee also loses out on any employer matching contributions while paying off the loan. There is often a minimum loan amount of $1,000 USD.

For most participants, a 401K is a convenient and straightforward way to save for their retirement. Although the plan isn’t perfect, it is perhaps one of the safest investment plans around and is ideal for people who don’t like to take too many risks.