401K is a retirement savings plan, which is usually sponsored by the employer. 401k plans allows workers to save as well as invest a part of their paycheck before the taxes have been taken out. The taxes are usually paid until there is withdrawal of the money from the account. These plans came up in the 1980s to supplement pensions. Most employers were making use of pension funds and these were normally managed by the employer for paying out steady incomes during retirement.

Most employers started using 401K since pension funds were costly. With the 401k plans, you can control the investment of your money. Majority of these plans offer spreads of mutual funds that constitute of bonds, money market and stock investments. However, these 401k investments have many caveats and restrictions even as they help you make savings. You need to know that you have the chance of borrowing loans with your 401k account.

There is no immediate access to the contributions of your employer. This is because of vesting, which is usually the amount of time you need to work for your employer to allow you access to your 401K. 401K has been seen to be insurances against an employee leaving their employer early. There are complex rules about withdrawal of money as well as costly penalties when you pull your funds out before you attain the retirement age.

An employer oversees an employee's account using hired administrators. These administrators will inform you about your 401k plans by mailing you updates on your plan and performance. If you need to do any transactions with your account, you need to go through the administrator. There are matching funds available with this plan to allow you to invest as much as possible.

You need to know that the IRS has contribution limits for the 401K accounts. You need to make sure that you chose the right type of 401k plans. There are two types and these vary in the tax implications as well as the schedule for the access to funds. The most common type is the traditional 401K and the least common is the Roth 401K. Majority of companies will allow you to get a 401K immediately while others will make you wait. 401K is a great way to save your money for the future when in employment. Get the best provider of the 401k plan to ensure that you are starting a retirement plan well.