401k Investing for Newbies and Nerds
There are one hundred and thirty million American workers who collectively own $35 trillion in their 401k and related retirement accounts. The owners of these accounts face both challenges and opportunities. The largest opportunity is that their accounts are investment accounts, not savings accounts, and for the past three decades they have grown in the low double-digit range.
The main challenge 401k owners face is that there are required to make their own investment decisions by choosing from a limited menu of mutual funds.
These 130 million self-directed retirement account owners can be divided into 3 distinct categories. The first are those who could care less about their money and are willing to just let nature take its course. The second group, NEWBIES, are inexperienced in the investment process, but are willing to become engaged in the management of their hard earned dollars. The third group, NERDS, are those who have a modicum of investment expertise and are willing to devote the time and energy to expand their investments skills.
The mission of my podcast is to motivate and educate 401k NEWBIES and NERDS on how to optimize their 401k experience. I have a 62-year relationship with the stock market. I have been a stockbroker, finance professor and individual investor. Ten years ago, I appointed myself to the position of 401k guru extraordinaire. I have no investment products to sell. All I have to offer are the objective observations of one who has been there and done that.
401k Investing for Newbies and Nerds
Season 1 Episode 20 Who Wants to be a Millionaire??
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Eighty million American workers participate in their companies 401(k) plan. Collectively, they have $14 trillion dollars invested in these plans. They make their own investment decisions by selecting mutual funds from a list prepared by an investment professional who is compensated by the mutual funds they place on the list. Last year, American workers paid $275 billion dollars in fees to have Wall Street manage their mutual funds. Over the course of the next decade this figure will exceed $3 trillion dollars.
There are those 401(k) participants who choose funds with minimal fees and superior performance. Others choose funds with high fees and subpar performance. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average 401(k) balance is $123,465. There are several million whose balance exceeds $1 million.
In this episode I will explore how the 401(k) program is structured, and what it takes to become a member of the elite $1m 401(k) club.
SPOILER ALERT – this is not a once in a life time stock pick. Becoming a 401(k) millionaire require discipline and patience.