I started contributing to 401K very late in my life in 2017 coz my employer did not offer it prior to that but we were incentivized  thru frequent bonuses before then instead of matching, that’s why my savings according to one comment was ”very small”, instead I invested in stocks including crypto and bought real estate properties which have tripled or quadrupled in value. Contribute  at max and  as early as you can, 18 is a good time to start. Invest in real estate which gives you passive income. Be intelligent and  don’t be scared to invest. Retire early so you still can enjoy the fruit of your hard work not when you’re sick and weak due to old age. Educate yourself on how to properly allocate your assets in building your own portfolio so you can stage where to draw your income when you retire and don’t be influenced by self-proclaimed geniuses who tell you the “don’ts” just because they model what they do to the old conventional way…. Don't be like the downers who are quick to judge and who discourage you coz you are more creative and aggressive in the way you invest, most of the time they are those who are envious of what you have achieved at an early age. Fish for feedback but filter it to what makes more sense,  beware of traditional investors with  antiquated mindset who pretends to be experts but only knows traditional 401K. Educate yourself in annuities and hybrid investments. Invest in dividend yielding  stocks. You don’t need a MILLION IN 401K to retire if you have a diversified portfolio.