Is A 401K Considered A Retirement Plan? 
Is a 401k considered a retirement plan ? Unfortunately , yes . Today 401 -LRB- k -RRB- s are considered to be retirement `` plans '' rather than retirement supplement plans that they were intended to be when enacted in the early 80 's . The orginal intent behind 401 -LRB- k -RRB- s was to provide employees with an addtional way to set wages aside for retirement . Somewhere along the way since they were introduced , they became `` primary '' retirement plans , shifting the risk of outcome from employer to employee . 