Originally Posted by
9999
If I get on with a company that has a 401K would it be worth while to pay into it or save the money I would put into it and invest it myself?
My suggestion: Fully fund an IRA and put all you can into the 401K, especially if there's any company matching contribution---that's free money. Both defer taxes on the earnings. If you have a choice in how your 401K funds are invested, diversify, be conservative, and do not buy any airline stocks or bonds.