Ask the internet whether to fund your 401(k) or your Roth IRA and you'll get the same four words:
"Max the Roth first."
It's decent advice wearing a costume. Because these two accounts aren't competitors, they're specialists. One has free money and a huge ceiling. The other has every investment on earth and rules that bend.
The right question isn't which account wins. It's:
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Where does my next dollar do the most work?
Here's the order, the math behind it, and the four situations where it flips. 👇