If he doesn’t contribute the maximum $23,000 over 10 years at an 8% growth, he will miss out on $361,000 in his 401(k) [4]. Stretch that over 20 to 30 years — depending on how far you are from retirement — and the missed growth gets even bigger.And while putting retirement savings on indefinite hold to buy a home is generally a bad idea, he’d still be saving a significant amount due to his employer’s contributions.By pausing his $2,000 monthly contributions, he’d free up $23,000 a year for mortgage payments ...