While I don't discount 401(k) programs and believe people should contribute as much as their employer will match, if people are in debt and thinking they can fall back on such programs and have enough for retirement, they are sadly mistaken. Real savings of at least 10% (which most 401(k)s don't yield due to conservative investing by most W-2 employees) requires that people get out of debt, control their spending, and learn how to leverage their cash surplus (beyond just contributing to an employer-matching retirement program) to make them even more money.