There are a lot of ways to build equity. My opinion is go pretty big on 401k and don't forget backdoor Roth IRA. But that gets easier going forward as we trend towards 18% company contribution in 2026. Keep it simple unless you want to stare at a screen all the time with your free time. I've tried some of that and for me it sucks. I've seen others do it with mixed results - some fantastic and some less so.

Roth is great sometimes and sometimes it's not. If you're in a high income tax state making a lot it's maybe not as beneficial, especially if you see yourself moving to a no income tax state in retirement.

Other ways to build equity include, real estate, a business, side hustle, etc. If you're not maxing your 401k at some point because your building equity elsewhere, hey, good on ya. Don't stress it. Also don't forget arbitrage... i.e. don't pay off your 2.5% mortgage early with cash that can generate a guaranteed greater amount elsewhere.