Originally Posted by
wmupilot85
Oh, I am. Remember, if I make a $1,000 payment to student loans, that all $1,000 goes toward principal, which means a significant amount of interest gets kicked off instead of $700 going toward interest and $300 toward principal (just throwing a number out there). Total savings outweigh what I'd earn in interest from a 401k and the free money.
If 3 years of not investing into a 401k makes me unable to retire, then I've done more wrong in my career than not putting money away into a 401k for 3 years.
If your interest rate is less than your rate of return on your 401(k), you're throwing away tens of thousands of dollars down the road. If they are equal, then you are better off paying off your loan.