Most people would never build a whale of a 401k without being encouraged to save. And it’s not your mom or dad ordering you to put money away this time. Your employer encourages you to join its retirement savings programs and even sweetens the pot by making contributions on your behalf. Once you sign the necessary paperwork, your contributions are invested automatically each payday. The money is put away before you get your hands on it. (more…)

If you are counting on your 401k plan for retirement - beware! The current financial crisis and stock market collapse are troubling enough, but what many retirement savers don’t know is that their 401k plans may not be up to the task.

401k’s have become the predominant retirement funding tool in the U.S. Twenty-five years ago, traditional defined benefit pensions plans were the primary type of retirement plan covering more than 60% of the workforce that had pension plan coverage. Today, defined contribution plans (mostly 401k) are the primary retirement plan for 63% of the covered workforce. (more…)