Domain: tiger-web1.srvr.media3.us Should I leave my company for 401k matching? | Money Talk
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Should I leave my company for 401k matching?

Posted on 5/7/23 at 12:10 pm
Posted by BOZ4LSU
Georgia
Member since Jan 2012
2486 posts
Posted on 5/7/23 at 12:10 pm
Been working at a company for over 3 years, so about 40% vested but the company stopped matching due to COVID before I was able to start the 401k program.

Many other companies have a match but I would be starting over with vesting and probably not get to 20% until at least 2 years with another company.

So should I stick it out with my current company and hope matching comes back and take advantage of vesting or just jump ship?

I've reached out to HR and it has gotten nowhere in getting a solid answer on reinstating the match.

Update since some are asking:
I'm a travel Physical Therapist, compensation isn't too different from company to company, depends on the contract. Problem is switching companies ususally means waiting 1000 hours until you're eligible to even start investing in their 401k for which you're not even vested in until 2 years after. Problem is I'll eventually settle down so I won't be at any company for very long, that's why I was planning on just waiting it out and hope the company match returns before I stop traveling.
This post was edited on 5/11/23 at 2:19 pm
Posted by ks_nola
Bozeman
Member since Sep 2015
740 posts
Posted on 5/7/23 at 1:56 pm to
don't follow. if the company stop matching before you started a 401k, meaning they haven't contributed to you 401k whats vested 40%? your money is your money 100% from day one. they matched nothing so far. if they reinstated tomorrow you still have 3 years min to be 100% if they count the 2 year they didn't offer as part of the vesting period. If you find equal job that starts contributing day 1 you aren't really losing anything IMO. with new job tell them you need signing bonus to cover money you are leaving behind which appears to just be time.
Posted by BOZ4LSU
Georgia
Member since Jan 2012
2486 posts
Posted on 5/7/23 at 2:05 pm to
You're correct, no matching from the company yet so nothing vested from them. I'm saying if/when they start a match I'd be at 40%.
Posted by thelawnwranglers
Member since Sep 2007
42224 posts
Posted on 5/7/23 at 2:11 pm to
If they can't match now they are in the toilet are greedy pos
Posted by Jag_Warrior
Virginia
Member since May 2015
4292 posts
Posted on 5/7/23 at 3:31 pm to
I have no idea what industry you’re in. But if your company is still struggling enough financially after Covid that they’ve been unable to reinstate the company match, I’d probably be looking for other opportunities regardless of the match situation.
Posted by soccerfüt
Location: A Series of Tubes
Member since May 2013
73742 posts
Posted on 5/7/23 at 3:40 pm to
There’s no set amount a Company HAS to match.

This could be theoretically a $2k or $3k per employee annual exposure to the firm.

Peanuts.

The message management is sending you is loud and clear: we don’t care if you leave and/or the company is in terrible financial condition.

I’d be dusting off my resume.

If you care about anyone above you in the organizational chart, tell them (after you leave) that this failure was a reason you bolted.

If you don’t have any allegiance to anyone there, tell them nothing.
This post was edited on 5/7/23 at 3:41 pm
Posted by NC_Tigah
Make Orwell Fiction Again
Member since Sep 2003
136829 posts
Posted on 5/7/23 at 4:18 pm to
quote:

Should I leave my company for 401k matching?
Been working at a company for over 3 years
I always advise folks to look. Do a search. You may find other aspects of your compensation more than requite for lack of a 401k match. OTOH you may find an increase in salary w/ a 401k match. You don't know if you don't look.

In the same vein, an employee can really screw up if they believe, without full understanding of the facts, that the "grass is greener" somewhere else.

Quietly float your resumé. See what's out there.

Posted by TorchtheFlyingTiger
1st coast
Member since Jan 2008
3000 posts
Posted on 5/8/23 at 10:07 am to
Youve given none of the details that would go into this decision. Income at company A vs B and match percentage obviously but youve also got to weigh how much you like current job, prospects for raise/promotion, job security, other benefits etc. All else equal if you're making say $100k and new company matches 3% maybe it isnt worth jumping ship over $3k and having to wait to vest. But if moving to better situation and match or the match % and/or income is much higher. If you dont like the current situation or think the company is in a tedious position financially look elsewhere for those reasons not the match.
Posted by Weekend Warrior79
Member since Aug 2014
21169 posts
Posted on 5/8/23 at 12:19 pm to
quote:

I've reached out to HR and it has gotten nowhere in getting a solid answer on reinstating the match.

Because they wouldn't know, they only institute the policies the executive team, owners, tell them.

Some companies have 100% vesting from day 1, so losing the vesting status should not deter you from looking just ask them about their matching/vesting policies during the compensation phase of the interview process.

As others said, the vesting part wouldn't be a make-or-break issue for me, but it is a sign of some potentially much larger issues with the company if they still have not recovered enough to bring back matching.
Posted by Jon A thon
Member since May 2019
2461 posts
Posted on 5/9/23 at 7:43 am to
quote:

Some companies have 100% vesting from day 1, so losing the vesting status should not deter you from looking just ask them about their matching/vesting policies during the compensation phase of the interview process.



Yeah, in my industry, I've never heard of a vesting period for Company match. It's match up x% from day one. Those companies are out there.
Posted by NOSHAU
Member since Feb 2012
13563 posts
Posted on 5/9/23 at 9:09 am to
quote:

Yeah, in my industry, I've never heard of a vesting period for Company match. It's match up x% from day one. Those companies are out there.
Never heard of a vesting for company match? That is probably the norm rather than the exception.
Posted by BenDover
Member since Jul 2010
5555 posts
Posted on 5/9/23 at 9:12 am to
I would definitely agree that it's more popular to have a vesting period than none at all. Our company is a Safe Harbor and we match 100% from day 1 which I'm thankful for.
Posted by meansonny
ATL
Member since Sep 2012
26053 posts
Posted on 5/9/23 at 9:46 am to
quote:

Yeah, in my industry, I've never heard of a vesting period for Company match. It's match up x% from day one. Those companies are out there.


For my company, it was 5 years to be 100% vested.
But they also still have a pension, too.
And on-boarding new hires at the time was 6 figure expenses.

For my wife (coordinator for county department), vesting is 5 years. It is actually doing what the county wants it to do (she would probably change jobs with all of the wage inflation this minute if it wasn't for the 401k match that she has marked on the calendar).

Now that I think about it. I have been with my employer 15 years. And I may not have stuck through the first 5 if it weren't for the match and pension offer.
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
23808 posts
Posted on 5/9/23 at 11:33 am to
If I was you I'd leave immediately and take a 10% pay cut to find a 5% 401k match. You need to have priorities Op.

Seriously, why would you discuss the 401k match without the rest of your compensation? 401k is just one piece of a compensation package that starts with salary, bonus, commission, health care, time off, retirement, etc.

Posted by ronricks
Member since Mar 2021
11445 posts
Posted on 5/9/23 at 12:21 pm to
quote:

I have no idea what industry you’re in. But if your company is still struggling enough financially after Covid that they’ve been unable to reinstate the company match, I’d probably be looking for other opportunities regardless of the match situation.


This
Posted by Tigerroc
Member since Jun 2017
286 posts
Posted on 5/9/23 at 1:15 pm to
Can’t beat pension and SSA, or straight pension and no SSA if it’s a State funded one. We hardly use our 401K.
Posted by NOSHAU
Member since Feb 2012
13563 posts
Posted on 5/9/23 at 2:13 pm to
quote:

I would definitely agree that it's more popular to have a vesting period than none at all. Our company is a Safe Harbor and we match 100% from day 1 which I'm thankful for.


Small company with a lot of highly paid employees?
Posted by TrouserTrout
Member since Nov 2017
6425 posts
Posted on 5/10/23 at 8:27 am to
If the company is too broke/tight to match 401K contributions even a little, it’s probably time to move on.
Posted by Weekend Warrior79
Member since Aug 2014
21169 posts
Posted on 5/10/23 at 9:06 am to
quote:

Small company with a lot of highly paid employees?

This is sort of our situation. Have a decent balance between high wage earners and low wage earners; but majority of the lower wage earners do not contribute while all of the high wage earners do.

Going to 100% vested from day 1 pre-dated me starting with the company, so not sure if that was the logic and it helped with costs.
Posted by Pelican fan99
Lafayette, Louisiana
Member since Jun 2013
39151 posts
Posted on 5/11/23 at 6:35 am to
No company match is some BS. What's the point in even putting your money in a 401k at that point
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