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What Is a 401(k)? - Personal Finance - WSJ.com

A 401(k) is a retirement savings plan sponsored by an employer. It lets workers save and invest a piece of their paycheck before taxes are taken out. Taxes aren’t paid until the money is withdrawn from the account. 401(k) plans, named for the section of the tax code that governs them, arose during the 1980s as a supplement to pensions.