401(k)

More than 41 million U.S. households have at least one family member with a 401(k) plan. As of early 2018, the average balance of a 401(k) account was $102,900, and the total amount of 401(k) assets was more than $5.3 trillion. Retirement investment accounts are a great way to plan for the future,...

 A 401(k) plan is a defined-contribution plan where employees can make contributions from their paycheck before tax, but also after tax, if offered by the plan. The contributions go into a 401(k) account for each employee, with the employee often choosing investments based on the plan’s...

For many, 401(k) plans offer one-stop retirement planning: You contribute pre-tax money before your paycheck hits your bank account, lowering your tax bill and ensuring you don’t spend it elsewhere. Plus, many employers match a portion of what you put in (free money!) and offer features that...

If you’re just beginning your career, you might have prioritized paying off college debt and building emergency savings rather than retirement. Ironically, though, retirement is one of the first things you should consider. If your job has an employer-sponsored retirement plan, it can pay to...

When packing up your desk for that next great career step, don’t forget about your 401(k) plan. Should it stay or should it go with you to the new job? Your choices range from doing nothing, moving your savings to your new company’s plan, or rolling it over to an Individual Retirement...

Gone are the days when pensions were a part of life. Today no one thinks twice about taking advantage of a new career opportunity. But too often, along with old condiments and clutter, we also leave behind our 401(k)s. Taking it with you typically involves rolling a former company plan’s...

Americans paying off student loan debt now have a new way to add to their 401(k) retirement savings. What Happened? A new private letter ruling by the IRS suggests the agency may be open to employers matching employee student loan payments with contributions to their 401(k), according to...

Without a proper payback strategy, acquiring loans may send your credit down the drain. Bankrate suggests that reasons for debt can range from medical bills to divorce to not understanding the mechanics of cash flow and the importance of saving. Whatever the reason or combination of reasons,...

Securing enough for retirement is a huge concern, particularly as financial rhetoric intensifies as the days to November 8 dwindle into the single digits. While the candidates' jargon has broadly steered clear of retirement and the political atmosphere has laid heavy with non-platform-related...

While some may argue investing strategies are rather straight forward and mathematical — and they wouldn't be incorrect — what is often glossed over are the formulaic changes inevitably implemented as different stages of life are hit. Just as other priorities in life change...

Asset managers have been under pressure recently, as passive and robotic investing strategies have grown substantially. Decreasing costs and the increasing ease of investing has reduced the value-add of asset managers to individuals. Barclays’ Take Barclays' Kenneth Hill believes industry...

Regardless of how old you are, there's something you should be doing to prep for retirement. From basic planning strategies to hunkering down for the last lap, keep track of where you are on the journey. It starts much earlier than most people assume. Before 25 While advice for young adults...

Retirement may still be a handful of decades away, but thinking long term — over 40 years ahead — can pay off in almost incomprehensible ways. The choices you make while you're still young will have a huge impact on your future. For example, by investing an annual $2,000 for seven...

Lawsuits against 401(k) plans going bad are on the rise, and they aren't just filed against big retirement plans any more. These lawsuits are centered on the bad investments, high costs and "revenue sharing," according to a report on Bloomberg. Law firm Nichols Kaster calls the 401(k) "one of the...

When retirees reach 70.5 years old, the IRS sends the bill on their tax-deferred 401(k) savings accounts. This week, the oldest baby boomers will be reaching said threshold, and thus, will be required to start withdrawing cash from their IRAs and 401(k)s. However, what’s interesting...