Wealth with Intention

The short version: your employer match is the highest-return money in your financial life, and three fairly ordinary mistakes cause people to miss part of it. You can check all three yourself in about fifteen minutes using your Summary Plan Description and your most recent pay stub.

Most people assume that if they are contributing to their 401(k), the match takes care of itself. Usually it does. But "usually" is doing a lot of work in that sentence, and the exceptions are expensive.

What is a 401(k) employer match?

An employer match is money your company adds to your 401(k) based on what you contribute. It is compensation you have already earned. You just have to meet the plan's conditions to receive it.

Two formulas cover most plans:

• 100% of the first 3%, then 50% of the next 2%. You contribute 5% of pay, your employer adds 4%.
• 50% of the first 6%. You contribute 6% of pay, your employer adds 3%.

Your exact formula lives in your Summary Plan Description, the document your p...

If you've just left a job, or you're about to, there's a good chance an email from HR is sitting in your inbox with a subject line like "Important information about your retirement account." It probably came with a stack of forms and very little explanation.

I get it. This is one of those money decisions that feels small and administrative until you realize a wrong move can trigger taxes, penalties, or years of quietly higher fees. The good news is that a rollover is very doable once you know how the pieces work. I've spent more than a decade as a financial advisor helping women through exactly this, and I want to walk you through it the way I would if you were sitting across the table from me.

The Short Version

When you leave an employer, you can generally roll your old 401(k) into an IRA, move it into your new employer's plan, leave it where it is, or cash it out. Cashing out is almost always the most expensive choice. For the other three, ask for a direct rollover, which means th...

Every year, the same question lands in my inbox from smart, accomplished women who are trying to do right by their financial futures: "Leah, should I just max out my 401(k)?"

It sounds like such a simple yes-or-no question. And the internet will happily give you a confident, one-size-fits-all answer. But here is the truth: it depends, and the details of that dependency matter enormously.

In 2026, the IRS lets you contribute up to $24,500 to a 401(k) if you are under 50. If you are 50 or older, you can add an $8,000 catch-up contribution, for a total of $32,500. Some plans also allow a higher catch-up of $11,250 for ages 60 through 63. Maxing that out sounds virtuous. Responsible. Like the financial equivalent of eating your vegetables. But blindly maxing your 401(k) without considering your full financial picture can actually work against you.

First: What Is the Case FOR Maxing It Out?

Let us give credit where it is due. There are genuinely compelling reasons to contribute as much as p...

By Leah Hadley, AFC®, CDFA®. Last updated September 2026.

Many people are surprised to learn that their 401(k) or 403(b) may include a second way to invest. Alongside the standard menu of funds your employer picked, some plans offer what is called a self-directed brokerage window. It is easy to miss, and most participants never open it.

Whether it is worth using depends on what you want it to do for you. This post explains what it is, three ways it can help, and the costs and risks to weigh before you decide.

By Leah Hadley, AFC®, CDFA®. Last updated September 2026 with the current IRS limits.

Whether you're starting a new job that offers retirement savings options, or you're looking into managing your investments yourself, it's easy to get overwhelmed. If investment lingo feels too far beyond your wheelhouse, learning the difference between a Roth IRA and a 401(k) is a good place to start. Let's work through what each account is, how to use it, and the pros and cons of each. Spoiler alert. Some people are eligible to use both.

Roth IRA vs. 401(k) at a Glance