Hey everyone, welcome back. It's Finance Friday, another special edition of Money Girl.

This is the show where I answer your burning money questions. I love hearing from you.

So if something finance related is on your mind, leave me a voicemail. You can call 302-364-0308. You can also send me an email by

visiting my contact page at laura d adams.com. Today we have a terrific question that comes to us from

Lisa S, who says, love the podcast. I recently left a 40-hour-a-week job for a 20-hour-a-week job, but it has benefits, including a 401k with an employer match of 4%. In addition, I also have two per diem side hustles that also offer 401ks, but neither of them

pays matching contributions. Should I contribute 4% to the 401k with a match, and then contribute more to

the per diem 401ks? I don't want to be strapped if I only

work 20 hours, but I want to be sure that I'm contributing more when I earn more. I also have a

traditional IRA, but would rather take advantage of the benefits of contributing from my paycheck.

Thank you. Lisa, thank you for your question, and congratulations on having multiple income sources. Having lots of retirement

accounts is a terrific problem, and I'll help you maximize them so you earn more, reduce taxes,

and build a secure financial future.

So first, let's talk a little bit about employer retirement matching.

I love that Lisa is focused on the employer matching that she's eligible for at her new job.

That should definitely be a priority when you work for a company or an organization that offers a

retirement plan with matching funds. That could be a 401k, 403B, or 457 plan. A retirement account

match is when an employer contributes to your retirement plan based on how much you put in up to an annual limit.

While employers are never required to offer you matching contributions, many do because it's a

valuable benefit. It helps them attract and retain good employees. Retirement plan matching can also encourage you to participate in a

retirement plan, so you invest at least enough to maximize that additional free money from your

employer. So if you're not maxing out an employer's match, you're essentially saying no thanks to

free money, and I definitely don't

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