maxing a 401k

[AL5AcE]

Yea, what he said above. Your 15% capital gains will be taxed every year, preventing you from reinvesting this money, which would have worked to compound a lot over 40 years. When you withdraw your 401k and the tax is applied, the two net results are close but still significant.

I also recommend you spend 5 min. figuring out your future tax bracket, and calculating the difference between the capital gains tax and the tax deferred option.