The two plans are also different in that 401(k) plans do not offer a three-year Pre-Retirement Catch-Up; and 457(b) plans do. Another difference is that a 401(k) distribution prior to age 59½ may be subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty and 457(b) plans generally do not have the same early withdrawal penalty.
For many people, they will either be in the same bracket or a lower bracket when they retire. For that reason, a traditional (pre-tax) 401k is better. You get more in your paycheck now, which you can use to invest or make purchases. Then in the future your 401k is taxed...as well as other investments.
For the purposes of account withdrawals, retirement is considered to be age 59½. If you withdraw from a traditional IRA or 401(k) before this age, those withdrawals are subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty and taxation at ordinary income tax rates. Roth withdrawal rules are different.
401(k) plans and 403(b) plans offer very similar benefits. As such, one isn't really better than the other. The main difference is that each plan is offered to employees of different types of companies. Another key difference between the plans is that 403(b) plans also offer a $15,000 catch-up.
If you were hired by a state agency on or after September 1, 2008, you were automatically enrolled in the Texa$aver 401(k) plan, with 1% of your salary contributed directly from your paycheck, pre-tax. If you weren't enrolled automatically, you had the opportunity open a Texa$aver account at any time.
Good alternatives include traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs and health savings accounts (HSAs). A non-retirement investment account can offer higher earnings, but your risk may be higher. Investment accounts don't typically come with the same tax advantages as retirement accounts.
Deferred compensation is a written agreement between an employer and an employee where the employee voluntarily agrees to have part of their compensation withheld by the company, invested on their behalf, and given to them at some pre-specified point in the future.
High-yield savings accounts. Certificates of deposit. U.S. Treasury bonds. Treasury inflation-protected securities. Investment-grade corporate bonds. Municipal bonds. Fixed annuities.
From a high level, the sponsor of a 401(k) plan is the entity that establishes retirement plans for a company and its employees. Normally, the 401(k) plan sponsor is the employer itself, a union, or a selected employee of the firm.