I don't think the company would match your contribution if you were not an employee at the time of the match. Actually this is probably why the company does its match this way. It gives you an incentive to stay the whole year in order to get the match. The purpose of the match is to keep employee morale up and entice employees to stay at the company, so it seems like a waste of money to do it anyway after the employee has already left.

It all depends on how your company works. The majority of companies have wording in their employee handbook or in their policies that states something like: employees are eligible for match contributions to their 401k or bonuses but must be actively employed at the time of the payout. Every company I have worked for has had this policy. Why should they pay out money to you that is designed to keep you with them when you already left? The reason companies pay bonuses and match 401k's is an incentive to keep with them. It has been proven that when you do these things it increases employee retention and loyalty. You have left the company so you would not be eligilbe for the payment. It really is a shame and I can understand why you are thinking what you are. Early in my career thought the same thing that you do. However, I now know that in order to get things like bonuses and matches you need to be actively employed with the company in order to get the payout. Count this as a lesson learned for the future and if you have the option try to time your departures to where you maximize payouts. Best of luck to you at your new employer.

It's entirely up to the company. At most places, you must have worked during the full eligibility period to receive the match. You also need to be employed at the time of the match.

If you've left when it's given, then few employers will deposit the match into your 401k account. It's not always just a matter of leaving you with less either. In many cases, workers roll over their old accounts into new ones, or into their own IRAs. So, many companies don't bother with giving absent workers their match because of the logistics and expense involved.

Don't feel bad about missing the match if you've seized a better opportunity. You should also consider rolling over your 401k with a new employer, or putting it into your own IRA. This is the best way to keep fees low, consolidate your money, and manage it more effectively. Don't let it sit for years with no oversight as some people do.

That is correct. For example, if your 401k plan works on a calendar year (January 1 - December 31), and you work all of 2011, you will be eligible for a match for your service during 2011. But that won't automatically happen on December 31, 2011. But your plan says that it will happen in the first quarter of the following year. This gives time for the company to determine who is and isn't eligible to get a matching contribution.

I would expect that you would receive a match, based on your 2011 deferrals. For that reason, it will be easier for you if you waited until the match was made before taking out your account balance, whether you roll it over into an IRA, or take it out in cash.