Employer Match
Money your employer adds to your 401(k) based on your own contributions — effectively free money.
An employer match is a contribution your employer makes to your 401(k) tied to what you put in — commonly something like 50% or 100% of your contributions up to a percentage of your salary. Capturing the full match is widely considered the highest-priority move in personal finance because it's an immediate, guaranteed return on your money.
Leaving match on the table is leaving compensation unclaimed. The one wrinkle is the vesting schedule: some matches aren't fully yours until you've worked a certain number of years, so the match you've earned on paper may not all be portable if you leave early.
This definition is general information to help you understand a term, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Figures that change year to year (limits, thresholds, rates) should be confirmed against current official sources. For guidance on your situation, a licensed fee-only fiduciary is the right next step.