Common 401(k) Mistakes

Believe it or not there are many mistakes that can be made along the way when it comes to financial retirement savings and investing. Unfortunately a good many of these mistakes center around the 401(k), which can be a tremendous boost to your retirement plans when used properly in order to build your portfolio. The problem is that the mistakes are often the only things we hear when it comes to retirement plans and investing. I suggest begin with the mistakes so that we can move along to better information and advice in the near future.

The first and perhaps largest mistakes that people make when it comes to 401 (k) plans is not signing up. Yes you heard that right. What people do not understand is that this is something your employer offers so that you can have some security for your future. It is a manner of saving money for your future that shouldn’t be overlooked or taken for granted. Even a bad 401 (k) plan is better than no 401 (k) and with strict regulations those are few and far between. More importantly, if your company offers to match the funds in your 401 (k) plan not taking them up on that offer is literally tossing money in the garbage can.

The next big mistake when it comes to your 401 (k) is risking too little. Rewards come with risk. If you aren’t taking any risks with your investment then you are by and large throwing money down the drain. In addition to that, it is nearly impossible to meet your retirement goals without taking some risks, and some hits along the way. This doesn’t mean you should be reckless but along the way you are going to need to take some calculated risks in order to receive the bigger payouts that most of us hope for when investing in their retirement funds.

Risking too much. There are many risks involved when investing in the stock market. There are a few that deserve a little more mention than others. First of all, stocks present a fairly large risk, particularly to the uninitiated. While it is true that great rewards are most often the product of great risks you do not want to risk the bulk of your retirement by investing it all in stocks. Another thing you want to avoid doing if at all possible is investing in your company stock. We’ve seen too many lives destroyed when companies go under taking the financial stability of their employees along with them. Many companies offer incentives to employees for investing in their stock, which may be tempting but I recommend investing as little as possible in your company stock whenever possible as this could lead to problems down the road.

Finally, the worst thing you can do for the health of your 401 (k) is borrow against it. There are so many ways in which this could go wrong and the penalties for this are more than a little prohibitive. They are designed to be that way so that you will use the funds for their intended purpose. If you absolutely have no other option is the only way I would recommend borrowing against your 401 (k) and I would seriously consider selling a kidney before doing that.

When it comes to your financial retirement, 401 (k) mistakes can be far more costly than you may realize. Work to avoid these common mistakes and you should be well on your way to a successful retirement.

Hot Tips On Your Retirement Savings

At the start, safety features were not needed in car design. Neither was it needed in a 401(k) account, but that is no longer true.

Here are some suggestions and things to watch out for:

1. Save automatically

Twenty five percent of eligible workers do not or decline to sign up for a 401(k) plan. Workers who do not sign up are risking their future. Plus, approximately $30 billion are left out in the form of company contributions.

If only a few rank-and-file workers participate, the higher-paid workers contributions are limited as stated in the IRS rules. An increasing number of companies have made 401(k) enrollment automatic. Employees can still choose to opt out.

Twenty five percent of large companies have employees automatically enrolled in the 401(k). Although, this would mean that many of the new employees are in a very conservative investment that may not be enough to beat inflation.

If you’re one of those higher-paid employees, you may want to move your money into a stock fund to take advantage of long term growth. You may also want too boost your contributions each year until you max out.

2. Simplify your investment

During the late 90s when the stock market was rising, providing workers with more investment choices was the rage. A few companies introduced new options and some offered ‘brokerage windows’ letting employees invest their 401(k) savings in an array of funds and stocks.

True-blue investors loved the choices and unfortunately drove up costs with the increased amount of trading. Majority of the workers didn’t make any choice at all.

If you don’t want to mess up your 401(k), simply tell your company to add a life-cycle or a target-maturity fund. You can also invest your savings in a balanced-fund option. A 60% stock to 40% fixed-income ratio is still a good choice.

3. Seek a low-cost alternative

Anomalies on mutual funds and awareness of high, hidden fees are making a few employers explore other forms of savings beside mutual funds. A commingled fund is an option that is available wherein the service provider combines small employer contributions to reduce costs.

The problem with commingled funds is that it isn’t publicly traded and investors usually have less information about how the money is invested. When your plan is offering mutual fund alternatives, make sure to compare costing for long and short term plans

The Definition of Investment: Piggy Banks, Coffee Cans, Stocks and Bonds

Investments can take two basic forms. First, an investment can be the purchase of goods, supplies, tools, or equipment to use in the production of increasing profits. For example, a businessperson who produces shoes may purchase a machine that automatically stitches leather in the hopes that the time saved will allow for the production of more shoes and increased sales.

The second basic form an investment can take is what most of us think of when we say we are investing our money. That is, we use the money we have for the specific purpose of making more money from it.

There are several different ways of investing money in the hopes of gaining a profit. Stocks and bonds, exchanging currencies in the Forex market, annuities, certificates of deposit, mutual funds, buying real estate to sell at a profit later (Flip That House!), IRA’s, even simple savings accounts, are all methods of investing. Even loaning your brother-in-law a few bucks (at a reasonable interest rate) to start a business is an investment.

Generally speaking, the riskier the venture is, the more opportunity there is to make a higher profit; the less risky, the lower the proceeds. The FDIC guarantees savings accounts and therefore, putting your money in a savings account with the idea that you will get a fantastic return on your money is not very realistic.

A savings account has little to no risk whatsoever; therefore, the return on investment is weak. Of course, it’s always a good idea to have liquid assets, and a savings account is one way to do so. Most middle-class Americans should have enough in their regular savings account to tide them over in the event of an emergency or job loss.

• *Quiz: Does putting your money in a coffee can and burying it in the backyard qualify as an investment? (see answer at end of article)

Purchasing stock in a company makes you part owner of that company. The two ways to make money from owning stock are to secure dividends and/or sell the stock for a higher price than what you paid for it. Sounds simple, right? Well, the basic concept is quite simple; it’s the day-to-day reality of the stock market that makes this type of investment a bit more complicated. There is no guarantee whatsoever that the stock you choose will make a profit. In fact, you can easily lose your entire investment. The potential for a tremendous profit exists, however, if the stock (company) hits the big time.

• **Quiz: Which is riskier? Loaning money to your brother-in-law or buying stocks by closing your eyes and pointing? (see answer at end of article)

When you are deciding how to invest your money, the two major considerations are how
much of a return on your investment you want to see and how much risk you are
comfortable with. Once those two questions are answered, it is time for you to seek out
an investment professional and start making yourself some money.

• No, sorry Jed Clampett. The coffee can qualifies as hiding or saving, but not investing.

• ** It depends on your sister’s taste in men.