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You werent allowed to invest in the s&p 500 or any other low cost index fund?

If I was, they did not make that clear at all. They had a set of about 14 different "packages" that were aggregations of different etfs and such that were available to invest in and that's it. I couldn't find any way to invest in a single stock or etf.

They also told me I couldn't cash out my money until I left the company I worked for which I am pretty sure is untrue.

You usually can’t cash out while still employed with the company sponsoring the 401k plan. Conversely, you can usually only take a loan withdrawal if you’re still employed with said company.

Definitely 401ks are obscure and confusing and full of deception. I think John Oliver did a segment on them. Your experience is not atypical.

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