ooo Of course! I was just bemoaning the fact I have no control over that :)
So I should only really consider the 401k (past match) once I have filled the annual IRA?
that would be my recommendation, yes.
Step 1) Fund your 401(k) up to the match
step 2) fund your HSA and IRA to the maximum.
step 3) fund your 401(k) up to the maximum tax-deferred $18k allowed (if possible).
If you can do these 3 steps each year you will almost certainly be FI in a decade or so (depending on your expenses).
The one minor exception is if your income is high enough to start hitting IRA deductibility limits (at which point you would probably have enough to max both accounts anyway, but), 401(k) contributions may actually help open up some room to deduct more of your IRA contributions.
It would stink to not be able to fully deduct your IRA contributions yet still have had room to contribute to your 401(k) which would have allow you to deduct more of your IRA contributions.
Clear as mud, right? If this doesn't make sense, maybe someone else can explain it better...