Does A 401K Count As A Retirement Plan? 
Does a 401k count as a retirement plan ? Yes , a 401k would be considered a qualified retirement plan . 401k plans were originally created to be a supplement to traditional pension plans in the 1980s but rather quickly 401k plans actually began to replace traditional retirement plans as 401k plans presented an opportunity for employers to shift liability to employees in regard to their retirement . Retirement went away from an employer 's responsibility to an employees . 