I think you may be confused on how a 401k match works. Let's say UPS has a 3% 401k match. This means they will match your 3% contribution dollar for dollar but this does not mean that you are limited to just the 3%. You can still elect to have up to 35% or $15K (the 35% cannot exceed $15K--if it does they will stop deducting for the year) deducted from your pre-tax dollars. UPS will only match the 3%.
Yes, I know that. I believe (don't know for sure, never had one)their limit was 6-7%, right? That means they would match your, let's say, 6% for a total of 12%, right? That, with some wages, wouldn't make it to 15K for the year. You'd have to up your % even tho UPS would stop at 6% to make it to the 15K.
Sure, I know you can contribute more. I do. I think I take out 18. Well, every year I've done that, I've maxed it out and they've stopped deducting.
The point I was trying to make is that whatever ANY company is matching is money that you didn't contribute and that THEY get to count off their books. In return, when it comes time, I have to pay taxes on that or any earnings that match made even though I didn't contribute the money or put it in.
Also, I said I prefer to deduct the whole thing myself so it ALL comes off the top of my total taxable income for the year. In other words, I want the, in my case, whole 18% off the top, not just half or more that I actually contributed. Whatever you would chose to have them match, 3,5,6% is 3,5,6% that I couldn't bang off the top.
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