The ability to choose your investments in a Roth definitely is something to consider. My employer’s 401(k) — which they recently stopped contributing to, by the way — seems to only have funds with high fees, so my Roth w/Vanguard gives me way more flexibility.

For example, you may be in a higher tax bracket right before you retire, but after you retire, if your house is paid off, don’t have kids in school anymore, etc., for example, you may not need to draw as much from your retirement as you were making in salary. The 401k has the advantage of being tax deferred now, so you don’t have to take out quite as much as you would with a post tax Roth IRA contribution. I do think the psychological benefit of pre-tax contributions and automatic deductions from your paycheck make it a good thing, especially for those who may not have the discipline or might not set up automatic contributions to a Roth IRA.

The Roth definitely has some advantages, since you get to choose where you invest instead of what you are limited to in your 401k. You will also not have to take automatic distributions from a Roth, as you would with a 401k.
I certainly think it is a very good idea at any rate and is probably the way to go. Maxing your Roth IRA and then putting whatever else you can into a 401k certainly is not a bad idea.
Thanks for the great comment!

-Nate

Since the money grows tax free in a Roth, and presumably you will be in a higher tax bracket (and taxes will be higher) when you retire, if you aren’t maxing out your Roth, it’s best to put the money there.