Their Parents Told Them A Market Crash Was Coming, So They Skipped Their 401(k) For 3 Years. 'I Will Never Forgive Myself For This'

A now-38-year-old professional says they still “genuinely cringe” when thinking about a decision they made at 28. After landing their first job with benefits, they were excited to start contributing to their company's 401(k), which offered a 5% employer match. But after mentioning it at a family dinner, their father warned that the market was “overvalued” and a crash was coming. Their mother agreed. Trusting their parents' confidence, they enrolled in the plan but set their contribution to just 1%, planni ...