Saving 15% for Retirement Before the Match

Here are some reasons why you should save 15% of your gross salary before the match for your 401(k) from your employer:

1. Gross, because you can adjust your withholding so that you can take a lot or very little home
2. Gross, because you don't know how much your tax return or payment will be at the end of the year and gross never changes like your take home could
3. 15% before the match so that you will get used to saving 15% even if you start working for yourself, or move to an employer that does not have a 401(k) match
4. 15% before the match because your employer's match is probably not yet vested, so don't look at it as your money
5. 15% before the match just in case you quit your job and you do loose the un-vested amount
6. 15% before the match because if your employer's money is vested, it'll be a nice bonus