We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. Learn more.

  1. Retirement
  2. Retirement Planning

Why Workers Would Take a Pay Cut for This Retirement Benefit

By:
Donna Rosato
4 min read
- Image Source—Getty Images
Image Source—Getty Images

Would you willingly take a pay cut? A surprising number of workers say yes—if it means getting a richer 401(k) match.

That’s one of the findings from a Fidelity Investments survey released today. When workers were asked if they’d prefer to have lower compensation in return for a higher 401(k) employer contribution, 43% chose the pay cut. As the responses show, many workers realize that it would be worthwhile to accept "a short-term pay cut for a long-term payoff," says Fidelity vice president Jeanne Thompson.

The results also show that more people are worried about achieving a financially secure retirement, which seems increasingly out of reach. For many workers, a 401(k) plan is their sole means for saving for retirement, while an employer match is the closest thing to a free lunch that you can get. But a 401(k) match is more than a nice fringe benefit—depending on your ability to save, it may even make or break your retirement.

Why is a 401(k) match so crucial to retirement success? Consider that most workers need to put away 10% to 15% of salary in their plan to be on track to a comfortable retirement, financial advisers say. But the typical saver stashes away only 8%. So to get to that 10% or higher savings rate, the average worker needs a boost from a company match. Overall, employer matches account for more than 35% of total contributions to the average worker's 401(k) account.

That brings up one bright spot in the survey: The typical employer match is now 4.3% of pay, which comes to an average of $3,450 per worker a year. That's a jump of more than $1,000 compared with the average employer contribution 10 years ago.

There are good reasons for employers to offer tempting 401(k) matches. Companies can deduct the contributions from their corporate taxes, and the benefit is a valuable tool for attracting talent and retaining employees, especially as the job market improves. Only 13% of workers surveyed said they’d take a job with no company match, even if it came with higher pay.

Of course, the fact that Fidelity is asking workers to choose between a match and pay cut is another stark reminder that Americans are largely on their own when it comes to saving for retirement. “Many people used to have a pension plan. That’s not true for younger workers today, and even many Baby Boomers who had pension plans have had them frozen,” says Thompson.

If your 401(k) lacks a generous match, it's crucial to step up your own savings. One relatively painless way to do it is start with a 1% increase in your savings rate. For each $33 reduction in your take-home pay, you will add $220 to $330 to your future retirement income. (To see how different savings rates will boost your nest egg, try this retirement income calculator.) At the very least, save enough to get your full 401(k) match.

Tags