> But... there's no way you could possible have 300k after 2 years of contributions to a 401k. If you were maxing it you'd have about 40. This is a bit of an a

> But... there's no way you could possible have 300k after 2 years of contributions to a 401k. If you were maxing it you'd have about 40. This is a bit of an aside, but… this isn't quite correct. Your (combined) individual contribution limit to a Traditional 401(k) and Roth 401(k) is $22,500 for this year. That doesn't include employer contributions. It also doesn't include after-tax contributions. The total combined limit for all contributions from all sources is $66,000 this year. So you could max out your Traditional 401(k), have your employer contribute $4,000, and then contribute an additional $39,500 to the after-tax portion. The after-tax portion has no advantageous tax treatment whatsoever. It's identical to putting that same amount into a brokerage account… except for one detail. If you employer has a plan which allows for in-service distributions, you can immediately roll over after-tax contributions into the Roth portion of your account. This enables individuals working for companies with very good benefits packages to save an incredible $66,000/yr into tax-advantaged retirement accounts. So assuming no growth, you can actually legally put $132,000 into a 401(k) in two years. It is thoroughly fucked up that the majority of Americans who don't work for giant companies with gold-plated benefits packages only have access to $6,500 in tax-advantaged savings through IRAs.