Forget the math. It will just give you a headache and you can twist the numbers to make any choice look good. I would look at it more simply. If my 401k had matching company contributions, I would direct just enough of my paycheck to the 401k to ensure I received the maximum amount of free money possible. Then I would contribute the max to my Roth IRA. If I was married, I would make sure my spouse's was fully funded as well.

If I had no company match in my 401k, or no access to a 401k, then I would contribute the max to my Roth IRA. If I was married, I would make sure my spouse's was fully funded as well. If I was self-employed, I would explore opening a solo Roth 401k and contribute as much as possible.

Fuskie
Who was talking to someone recently who wanted to restructure their retirement savings from Roth to Traditional in order to be able to claim additional tax deductions to offset the increases in taxes the feared was coming from Washington, but he countered that investment decisions should never be made out of fear or emotion, and that such a move would be short sighted and handcuff future earnings...