Americans are busy squirreling away savings more aggressively than in decades, but not necessarily in their 401(k) plans. And that has observers wondering if employees are short-changing their retirement savings.

During the recession, many companies stopped giving employees the matching funds that previously persuaded people to save for retirement in workplace savings plans. As a result, some people stopped putting savings in their 401(k) plans.

“My fear is that there will be an impact,” said Pamela Hess, director of retirement research at Hewitt Associates. “We know that company matches are a big enticement to save.”

Research shows that people are creatures of habit, Hess added. Once they stop saving, “they get used to having the extra money in their paychecks” and procrastinate about saving again.

She expects companies to reinstate matching money once they are confident the economy is recovering. But the process is taking longer than during past recessions. After the 49 percent downturn in the stock market in 2000-2002 and a mild recession, most companies started matching employee contributions again within six months, Hess said. This time businesses are in no hurry, but 80 percent said in a Hewitt study that they would eventually bring back their matches.

“They are cautious,” she said. Still, Hess emphasizes that individuals cannot afford to give up saving for retirement while awaiting the return of the match.

According to Hewitt, a 30-year-old who earns $50,000 and saves 6 percent of her pay each year until retirement and gets a 3 percent raise annually will end up with about $1,098,000 if she gets a 3 percent match from her employer throughout her working life and earns 7 per-cent on her 401(k) investments. But if that same person loses her match and gives up saving in the 401(k) for just one year, her nest egg will drop to about $1,053,000.

If the person stays with her usual 6 percent contributions, despite the absence of a match for a year, she should accumulate about $1,083,000.

Consequently, financial advisers provide this advice to people who have lost their matches:

If you have a 401(k) that doesn’t charge excessive fees and provides solid mutual funds, stay with it if the simplicity of automatic paycheck contributions helps you continue your usual saving behavior. Better yet, increase your contributions to make up for the loss of your employer’s match.

But if you think the fees are high and the mutual fund choices weak, consider using a Roth IRA for retirement savings, said Deerfield, Ill., financial planner Sue Stevens.

There are trade-offs.

Although you can save as much as $16,500 a year ($22,000 if you’re age 50 or older) in a 401(k),a Roth IRA limits you to just $5,000 per person—or$6,000 if you’re older than 50. Many people need to save more than $5,000 a year, especially if they are trying to catch up after neglecting saving when young. If you are married, each spouse can put as much as $5,000 in-to a Roth IRA if one is working, but even $10,000 a year might not be enough. (Try the “ballpark estimate” at www.choosetosave.org and check income limits for contributions at irs.gov.)

Stevens said people who need to do significant saving could use Roth IRAs to the max, as well as a 401(k). This provides an additional benefit. Anything you put into a 401(k) gives you an immediate tax break, so you don’t have to dip as deeply into your pocket to come up with money to save. The Roth IRA doesn’t give you that benefit. But a Roth offers a bene-fit in retirement that is better than a 401(k): Anything you remove from a Roth IRA during retirement is yours, free and clear. On the other hand, when retirees remove money from a 401(k), the withdrawals will be taxed.

Still, beware of the inclination to procrastinate if you are considering a Roth IRA. Sheryl Garrett, a financial planner and founder of the Garrett Planning Network, suggests opening the IRA immediately at a low-cost mutual fund company such as Vanguard or T. Rowe Price. She advises savers to set it up so money is removed automatically from each paycheck and deposited in mutual funds. Funds to consider, she said, if you want to make small monthly contributions are T. Rowe Price Equity Income Fund or T. Rowe Price Standard& Poor’s 500. The fund is invested 100 percent in stocks. More conservative funds suggested by Stevens are Pimco All Asset or Permanent Portfolio.