A pooled investment account provided by an employer that allows employees to set aside a portion of their pretax wages for retirement savings or other long-term goals (i.e. paying for college tuition, purchasing a home). Many employers match their employees' contributions up to a certain dollar amount, or by a certain percentage.

Employees are always fully vested in their own employee savings plan (ESP) contributions. However, many plans require that employees remain employed for a minimum amount of time before they are vested and eligible to withdraw employer-matched funds. ESPs can be an attractive and relatively easy way for employees to lower their taxes and save for long-term goals.