Example
Hypothetical Example. You can contribute 10% of your annual salary (or $3,500) to your company retirement plan. Or, you can contribute 10% of your annual salary (or $3,500) to a regular savings account. You save the same amount with either option. However, choosing to save through your company retirement plan can give you an extra $840 of your take-home pay each year ($24,488–$23,648 = $840).

Ordinary Taxed
Savings Account
Company Retirement
Plan Account
Annual Income $35,000 $35,000  
Your plan contribution $0 10% = $3,500  
Taxable pay $35,000 $31,500  
Federal income tax single filer $5,174 $4,334  
Social Security/Medicare $2,678 $2,678  
Invest 10% of taxable pay $3,500 $0  
Take-home pay $23,648 $24,488  
Hypothetical for illustrative purposes only.

* The amount of income tax you save depends on your tax bracket and how much you put into your plan account. The federal tax shown reflects the standard annual withholding for a single filer making $35,000 at a federal tax bracket of 25% a year in 2007. Exemptions, itemized deductions and state taxes are not reflected in these examples.