Millions of Americans have access to employer-sponsored retirement plans like 401(k)s. These tax-favored retirement accounts allow workers to save thousands of dollars each year, sometimes earning immediate tax savings as a result and setting themselves up over the long run for years of tax-deferred growth.

One of the best features of many employer-sponsored 401(k) plans is that they offer an employer match when employees make contributions to their retirement accounts. Those matching contributions essentially act as free money to increase the size of your retirement nest egg.

Yet even though the money that employers chip in on your behalf can add up to a lot by the end of your career, there's one thing that workers increasingly need to keep in mind when it comes to employer 401(k) matching -- the possibility of having to forfeit the money they've received from their company.

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Source Fool.com