[bigbob]

I’d much rather see a person work for a soul-sucking Fortune 500 corporation that has a 401K plan with company match that they can max out than be a landlord for even one day.

[Alberta's Child]

Interestingly, I’ve come to the conclusion that maxing out your 401(k) contributions is not always a good idea. For workers who are smart and ambitious, I’d say it makes sense to contribute the minimum amount needed to get the maximum company match. Beyond that, it might make sense to cap your retirement contributions at 6% to 8% of your salary.

The key here is to take a solid 15% of your take-home pay and save/invest it OUTSIDE your 401(k) plan. Even though these are taxable investments, they give you a heck of a lot more flexibility and can be tapped if needed for things that are necessities or even just productive ventures (a side hustle, for example).