Do you get your employer 401K match once per year or each pay period.

[Davids]

With my current employer we get our match each pay period but I know with many employers (including a former employer of mine) where the match is deposited once a year and you are required to be employed on 12/31 in order to receive that match.

I am glad I get mine per pay period. I would not like getting it once a year especially when missing out on market gains. Although I suppose the flip side is being happy there is a match as some may not even get a match.

[ender]

Previous job was with every paycheck, so per pay period.

Current job has no 401k match... so, I guess, never?

[Dave1442397]

We get the 5% match every pay period, and company contributions are vested immediately. We also get a discretionary 2% match once a year, which I've received every year so far. I believe the 2% is dependent on company performance.

[Rhoon]

3% per pay period (including on commission). Vested immediately.

[CupcakeGuru]

75% match on the first 6%. I am fully vested.

[Kenbo]

Annually with the 12/31 requirement.

[I'm a red panda]

By pay period. I've never had it the other way.

[kpd905]

Once per year around March.  I am probably 10 years from FI, but I already think about putting in my notice right after that match drops into my account.

[Timmm]

I assume mine accrues per pay period, but the actual deposits are quarterly. Like the deposits for my own withholding, they're on a pretty loose schedule, sometimes varying by a couple of weeks. But I think it's always been within a month of the withholding.

Matching per pay period sounds great, and I'd prefer a rigid schedule too, but it's a decent plan otherwise with a healthy matching rate. I've had worse.

[SimpleSpartan]

Pay period

[rjbf65]

Pay period.  I have in the past put 15% into my 401k. Just switched to 66% in order to max it out through the end of the year. I think if I front loaded it then I'd only get my 3% match during the periods I was investing.  So I make sure to always have atleast 3% going in.

[Erica]

3.5% match per pay period

[slappy]

I didn’t even know doing it annually was an option. Like another poster said, I got an additional contribution that is made annually in January, and I have to be employed on Dec 31 to be eligible. But my regular contributions are matched every paycheck.

[Ocinfo]

I’ve never seen a “match” not given per pay period. It’s pretty normal that there is some type of  yearly contribution but it’s a set or variable amount that is paid regardless of employee contributions.

What I’m saying is, there is usually a per period match based on employee contribution and a separate employer contribution that is independent of what the employee does or does not do.


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[SpareChange]

I’ve never seen a “match” not given per pay period. It’s pretty normal that there is some type of  yearly contribution but it’s a set or variable amount that is paid regardless of employee contributions.

What I’m saying is, there is usually a per period match based on employee contribution and a separate employer contribution that is independent of what the employee does or does not do.

There seems to be a lot of variability. In my own case, my employer does indeed do a set match of 2.6%, and then, based on employee contributions, will match up to another 2%, so 4.6% total. Both of those, however, are dropped as a single lump sum in Feb.

[I'm a red panda]

I should add that my employer doesnt actually match. They put in 13%, we are required to put in 2%.

Anything else we put in is optional and in a separate plan.

[letired]

I did not know that not getting the match every pay period was an option! The more you know!

[wonkette]

My employer contribution shows up quarterly but I'm honestly not sure how it accrues. Someone down the hall is leaving at the end of the month, I wonder if I should ask him how that works.

[dresden]

I get a match and then they put an additional amount in each month regardless of contribution, but it has a 5-year vesting period.  Even though I've been in the same job for 18 years we were recently sold from one company to another and we don't get any vesting credit.  So 4 1/2 years until it's mine.  I believe the exact vesting is 20% after 2 years, 40% after 3 years, 60% after 4 years and 100% after 5 years.

[iTellStories]

My employer matches 100% of up to 6% contributions every pay check (semi-monthly).  They also contribute an additional 3% automatically as an employment benefit.

[mlejw6]

Both! We get 50% match up to 6% each pay period. Then, for everyone employed on 12/31, we get 2% annual deposit, usually sometime in March.

Although, I believe we are changing to flat 5% match per pay period in 2018. So, full match amount remains the same.

[Lance Hiruma]

Neither.
Quarterly.

[Helvegen]

Husband and I work for the same company.

We get 50% match up to 6% of pay. We also get a flat 4% of salary contribution. Both are evenly spread out over the 26 pay periods.

There is three year vesting on the match and no vesting on the salary contribution.

[swinginbeef]

We receive our match (100%match for first 3% and 50%match for next 3%) each pay period. We also receive an annual company non-elective contribution of 2.5%, 3% or 4% based on age plus years of service (0-39=2.5%, 40-59=3%, 59+=4%). I've always questioned, to myself, whether basing the non-elective contribution on the employees age is legit. Seems a form of age discrimination to me, but I've never brought it up because I feel they're less likely to say "You're right, Joe. We'll bump everyone up to 4%" and more likely to knock everyone down to the same level.

[Capsu78]

Must be an employee on Dec 15th to get the match in year end paycheck.  If you leave on your own, you lose any match...If you are RIF'ed out, usually they will pay out for this years service time as a part of a severance agreement, but that is not written policy...just used as a good will gesture.

[JetBlast]

Pay period. But it’s not a match, it’s a contribution. 100% vested immediately.

[McStache]

Per pay period, but if you frontload and you're still employed on 12/31, then they give a true up for the match so that you get the full amount you would have received had you invested evenly throughout the year.

[ketchup]

Once a year, and I'm pretty sure you do still get it for the previous year after leaving the company.

[BlueHouse]

I get a 4% match deposited each pay period and the following year (before March 15) I get the profit-sharing portion deposited in a lump sum. 
It's a 1-person company, so I set up the 401k that way on purpose (didn't want to commit to a big match if I didn't have enough business to pay it).  This way, on good years, I get roughly $28K bonus every February direct into my 401k. 

[tickledginger]

I'm another quarterly match. If the company does well, an additional 2 - 3% profit sharing from the previous year that is announced in late January and deposited by the end of March.