Beth Gwinn / Getty Images Before you take Dave Ramsey's advice to pause 401(k) contributions to pay off debt, consider these factors first. Key Takeaways Financial pundit Dave Ramsey's advice to pause 401(k) contributions while paying off debt forfeits employer match dollars and halts compounding growth. Staying invested through market downturns is a way to avoid missing the reward of the market rebounding. Only consider tapping your tax-free retirement savings as part of a carefully structured 401(k ...