TIAA CEO Urges Gen Z to Max 401(k)s From First Dollar, Citing 6% Match

1 articles · Updated · Fortune · Jun 25

Thasunda Brown Duckett told young workers to start contributing to a 401(k) with their first paycheck and, if possible, max contributions before take-home pay gets spent.
A key incentive is the employer match—usually up to 6%—plus tax advantages that can save workers hundreds to thousands of dollars a year while compounding builds a larger nest egg over time.
Duckett framed the advice through her own experience: she said she maxed out her 401(k) after landing a $26,000 first job at Fannie Mae in 1996 and has kept contributing throughout her career.
Her push for early saving also comes from family history—her father left a workplace 401(k) untouched for more than 30 years, then began maxing contributions after she showed him his pension would not be enough.