Tag Archives: 401(k)

I recently had the opportunity to watch a video of couples talking about retirement, which, for them, was about ten years away. The couples were broken into three self-described categories: fully prepared, somewhat prepared, and not prepared. At the end …

I just finished watching a new documentary on 401(k) plans. It was intended to be an exposé of sorts. The program combined criticisms of the U.S. retirement system and financial services industry with sinister music for added drama. After I …

A new study reported in the press summarizes what retirement experts have known for a while: Tax-deferred retirement accounts such as 401(k)s and IRAs can sometimes be “leaky buckets,” meaning that some individuals tap their tax-advantaged accounts prior to retirement. …

Here at Vanguard, we’re in our busy season. As clients set New Year’s resolutions to save more and prep for submitting their taxes, we receive more phone calls and emails. There’s a tradition at Vanguard where employees from around the …

I was just reading a blog that reported the typical pre-retiree had $42,000 in a 401(k) account as of 2010. Yet, I happen to know the actual figure is more like $100,000. These two numbers reveal how much confusion can …

The headline is dramatic. For the typical American household, net worth is down 39% from 2007 to 2010. That puts net worth for the typical household back where it was in the early 1990s. This data is from the Federal …

401(k)s remain a focal point of criticism when thinking about retirement security in America. One example is a recent op-ed column in The New York Times.

Perhaps the most commonly cited concern about 401(k)s is the size of current …

I read the headlines, same as you. Investors are panicking. During the drive in to work today, I listened to a radio business show. A correspondent talked about the flood of selling and the deep sense of fear in financial …

According to a recent survey, more than 70% of participants in 401(k) retirement plans think they pay no fees on their accounts. Less than a quarter got the answer right, acknowledging that they do, in fact, pay fees.

It’s …

As I’ve discussed in prior blog posts, 401(k) account balances for many Americans have recovered as a result of better financial markets and ongoing contributions. In tandem, the debate over 401(k)s has shifted—to the question of fees.

Critics share …