{
  "id": 2579824,
  "title": "I’m 44 with $1.3 million in my 401(k) — can I stop contributing and still retire in 15 years?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/im-44-with-1-3-million-in-my-401-k-can-i-stop-contributing-and-still",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-22T12:45:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Finance",
    "slug": "yahoo-finance",
    "url": "https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/options/articles/m-44-1-3-million-155345959.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Reddit user asks whether they should stop contributing to their 401(k) at 44, having accumulated $1.3 million, and still plan to retire at 59 1/2 with at least $100,000 in annual income. Using a conservative 7% annual growth rate, their $1.3 million would grow to about $3.59 million after 15 years, surpassing the required $2.56 million to generate their target income. However, contributing to their 401(k) comes with benefits beyond just the account balance. The employer match, which is essentially a 50% to 100% return on each dollar contributed, provides a significant financial boost. Additionally, stopping contributions would forfeit annual tax savings and create a cushion against potential market downturns during early retirement. While the projected balance exceeds the target, it's important to consider the employer match and other advantages before deciding to stop contributing.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}