I like listening to and watching Matt Lauer on 'The Today Show' but
I've heard him twice refer to 401K payments to employee accounts as
'free money.' He's not the only one, but he's one I've noticed.

Everytime I hear that, I'm troubled because it is not really free
money. It is money that a company agrees to pay employees as part of
a retirement plan, much like they used to give in benefits for a
pension.

It's money that is earned by one's employment.

Now, I understand what they are saying, by when you refuse that
money, it is like throwing away part of your paycheck. It's a small
point, but it's not leaving free money on the table; it's dropping
earned income into the gutter -- when one decides not to let an
employer contribute to one's 401K.