If your employer matches, you are literally earning 100% on your investment immediately. Few other investments can promise the hope of that, let a lone deliver.

If your employer matches, you are literally earning 100% on your investment immediately. Few other investments can promise the hope of that, let a lone deliver. If your employer doesn't match, then it can be a bit of a gamble. But you have the option to buy the market (index funds, etc) instead of a particular stock/fund, so you can bet on the entire economy. And remember that both cases use pre-tax dollars, costing you less for the same investment amount.