[jIM_Ohio]

How much is in your 401k now? My numbers were not meant to scare you...

here is whole 9% chart

9.0%
8.0 years to double

age
67 1,000,000.00
59.0 500,000.00
51.0 250,000.00
43.0 125,000.00
35.0 62,500.00
27.0 31,250.00
19.0 15,625.00

31k in 3 years might be tough, but 125k by age 43 is quite doable.

List your 401k choices (including tickers) and I'll tell you what I think...

How much you have saved and what return rate (8%-10%) you are shooting for would help as well.

I think you will see biggest bang for buck in 401k. There is a tax deduction NOW which will help you. I might consider NOT using the company stock and put that 3% (or 4%) into 401k. Because 3% into stock is post tax, you might be able to put 4% into 401k and not see a change in take home pay.

Conventional wisdom suggests put money into 401k up to match, then put 4k into Roth, then more into 401k. I do agree with the math... but at same time the immediate tax savings to someone of your income level will help "more money" works for you now, worry about taxes later. Once you get more income, add that additional income to Roth (you'll then be saving 3.2k+4k=7k of 36k income>20% savings rate).

At that point yoo'll hit the milestones previously listed sooner.