Invest Based On The Time Until You’ll Need The Money
Remember that a 401 is a retirement account, so you should plan not to withdraw money until you are at least 59 1/2. If you’re fairly young now, that means you have a long investing horizon ahead of you. If you’re nearing retirement age, however, your investing horizon is much shorter you will need to start withdrawing that money soon to fund your retirement.
Keep this timeline in mind when determining your risk tolerance. If you’re investing in your 401 throughout your career, your willingness to take risks should change over time. When you’re younger, more of your 401 funds should be invested in the stock market to maximize potential returns. You have time to wait out any downturns. However, as you age, you have less flexibility around market volatility and should shift your funds toward safer investments.
Lower-risk investments such as cash, CDs, money market funds, and bonds present far less risk of loss but also lower rates of return. If you overinvest your 401 funds in safe investments like these, you risk missing out on the wealth-building returns of the stock market.
To make sure you aren’t taking on too much — or too little — risk with your 401, consider this simple formula: Subtract your age from 110 and invest the resulting percentage of your 401 money in the market. A 20-year-old would have 90% of their money in stocks while an 80-year-old would have just 30% of their assets in the market.
Diversification And Asset Allocation
Allocating the right amount of money to a diverse array of assets is crucial to protecting your 401 from a stock market crash, while also maximizing returns. As an investor, you understand that stocks are inherently risky, and as a result, offer higher rewards than other assets. Bonds, on the other hand, are safer investments but usually produce lesser returns.
Having a diversified 401 of mutual funds that invest in stocks, bonds and even cash can help protect your retirement savings in the event of an economic downturn. How much you choose to allocate to different investments depends in part on how close you are to retirement. The further you are from retiring, the more time you have to recover from market downturns and full-fledged crashes.
Therefore, workers in their 20s would likely want a portfolio more heavily weighted in stocks. While other coworkers nearing retirement age would probably have a more even distribution between lower-risk stocks and bonds to limit exposure to a market drop.
But how much of your portfolio should be invested in stocks vs. bonds? A general rule of thumb is to subtract your age from 110. The result is the percentage of your retirement portfolio that should be invested in stocks. Investors who are more risk-tolerant will subtract their age from 120, while those who are more risk-averse will do the same from 100.
Pros And Cons Of 401 Brokerage Options
Expanded investment choices make this self-directed approach a double-edged sword for 401 investors.
- 401
- Brokerage
| For more news you can use to help guide your financial life, visit our Insights page. |
Important legal information about the e-mail you will be sending.
Content for this page, unless otherwise indicated with a Fidelity pyramid logo, is selected and published by Fidelity Interactive Content Services LLC , a Fidelity company. All Web pages published by FICS will contain this legend.Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC Before investing, consider the funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.
Also Check: Can You Take A Loan From 401k For Home Purchase
The Stock Market Is A Perfect Place To Earn Passive Income
That is why I believe the Canadian stock market is one of the best places to collect regular, reliable passive income. Firstly, you get liquidity. Buying and selling stocks is inexpensive and there is always an open market .
Secondly, you get diversity. With stocks you dont have to be stuck with a large investment in one business or asset class. You can buy a wide array of assets including real estate, infrastructure, technology, or commodities. Owning a large industrial warehouse is likely unaffordable to most Canadians. Yet, you can own a piece of an entire industrial real estate portfolio with stocks.
Now this comes with a caveat. The stock market is also challenging for both the above reasons. Liquidity means the stock market has ups and downs. The only way to counteract this is to own good quality stocks and own them for the long term.
You Should Know What Youre Being Charged
Thomas J Catalano is a CFP and Registered Investment Adviser with the state of South Carolina, where he launched his own financial advisory firm in 2018. Thomas’ experience gives him expertise in a variety of areas including investments, retirement, insurance, and financial planning.
Even if youve managed to avoid sitting through a company benefits meeting, youre no doubt familiar with the concept of a 401 plan. A 401 is a defined-contributions plan. You sock away a set amount each paycheck, your employer may match some percentage of the contribution, and years later you .
But even if you know how a 401 works and enthusiastically contribute to one, do you know about hidden fees that can come with it?
Don’t Miss: What Is The Tax Rate On 401k After 65
Try To Have Cash On Hand
Some financial professionals recommend retirees have enough cash or cash equivalents to cover three to five years worth of living expenses. Having cash reserves can help pay for unexpected expenditures that a fixed income may not otherwise be able to cover.
Cash on hand can also mitigate whats called sequence of returns risk. Thats the potential danger of withdrawing money early in retirement during market downturns and, thus, permanently diminishing the longevity of a retirement portfolio. By selling low, the longevity of the investors portfolio is jeopardized. However, with cash reserves retirees can withdraw less money from their 401 during a market decline and use the cash to cover living expenses.
Decide Where To Invest In Stocks
To determine the best way to invest in stocks, you have to first figure out what youre comfortable with. There are a few ways to go about it, including:
- A DIY approach where youll invest on your own
When it comes to DIY investing, there are so many options available. The big brokerage companies usually have a DIY option. Still, there are some great apps available as well, such as the Public app, which is a commission free option.
Whoever you invest with, youll want to check if any fees may be associated with the account. Most are low, making this the most cost-effective option. Although this is considered doing it yourself, remember that they all come with plenty of information that will be helpful.
- Investing in your employers 401K plan
This is one of the easiest ways to learn where to invest in stocks and teaches the basics in an easy-to-understand way. 401Ks usually dont offer individual stocks but have diverse options such as mutual funds. When it comes to investing, the most proven methods can be summarized into doing just three things: Investing small amounts regularly, such as a percentage of your income from each paycheck, having a hands-off approach, and thinking long term.
- Investing through a full-service firm with an advisor.
They can help you to avoid decisions that may steer you away from your financial goals and keep you on track over the long term providing sound advice along the way.
Also Check: What To Do With 401k When You Retire
A Health Savings Account
Health savings accounts have a huge advantage over a 401. You can potentially get double the tax break than a 401 provides.
A 401 allows you to make pre-tax contributions, but when money is withdrawn, you pay taxes on the funds you take out. HSAs, on the other hand, offer pre-tax contributions. And if you take the money out for qualifying healthcare expenses, the withdrawal isn’t taxed. Only HSAs offer tax breaks at both the contribution and distribution steps.
Of course, this benefit applies only if you’re withdrawing money for qualifying medical services. But since medical care is one of the biggest expenses for most retirees, there’s a very good chance you’ll be able to use your entire HSA account to cover eligible care costs. And, if you can’t do that, you can take the money out for any reason you’d like after age 65 and will be taxed at your ordinary rate just like you would for 401 distributions.
HSAs have much lower contribution limits than 401 accounts, and you’re eligible for them only if you have a qualifying high-deductible health savings plan. Still, once you’ve earned your employer match, this is generally a far better account to put additional retirement funds into than your 401.
These Strategies Can Help You Use Your 401 To Grow Your Wealth
A 401 makes investing for retirement easy with pre-tax contributions withdrawn directly from your paycheck. However, once you’ve made your contribution, you need to choose the right investments to maximize returns while limiting risk. Most 401 plans usually provide a small selection of funds in which to invest, and you’ll want to pick an appropriate mix of assets for your age and risk tolerance.
This guide will help you develop a strategy to invest in your 401 to make the most of this tax-advantaged retirement account.
Also Check: What Percent Should You Put In 401k
Calculate Your Risk Tolerance
All investing is risky and returns are never guaranteed, but it can actually be more risky to keep too much of your savings in cash, thanks to inflation.
Still, you don’t want to go all in on one stock or investment, particularly if a rocky market makes you uneasy and anxious, or likely to do something drastic, like pull your money out of your account.
You’ll want to determine an appropriate asset allocation, or how much of your investments will be in stocks and how much will be in “safer” investments, like bonds. Stocks have the potential for greater returns, but can be more volatile than bonds. Bonds are more stable, but offer potentially lower returns over time.
Financial advisors often recommend using the following formula to determine your asset allocation: 110 minus your age equals the percentage of your portfolio that should be invested in equities, while the rest should be in bonds.
But think about your investing horizon. If you have decades until you’re going to retire , then you can afford a bit more risk. You might choose an 80-20 stock mix for now. When you’re older, you’ll start scaling that back, depending on your goals and, again, your appetite for risk. Experts suggest checking that your investments are properly aligned with your risk tolerance each year and rebalancing as necessary, though how often you actually do will vary based on personal preference.
Keep Contributing To Your 401 And Other Retirement Accounts
Steadily contributing to your 401 is another way to protect it from future market volatility. Cutting back on your contributions during a downturn may cost you the opportunity to invest in assets at discount prices. Meanwhile, maintaining your 401 contributions during a period of growth when your investments have exceeded expectations is equally important. The temptation to scale back your contributions may creep in. However, staying the course can bolster your retirement savings and help you weather future volatility.
You May Like: How To Open A Personal 401k
Understanding Your Investment Account Options
Now that youve made the right choice in deciding to save for retirement, make sure you are investing that money wisely.
The lineup of retirement accounts is a giant bowl of alphabet soup: 401s, 403s, 457s, I.R.A.s, Roth I.R.A.s, Solo 401s and all the rest. They came into existence over the decades for specific reasons, designed to help people who couldnt get all the benefits of the other accounts. But the result is a system that leaves many confused.
The first thing you need to know is that your account options will depend in large part on where and how you work.
Diversify And Reduce Risks
Diversification is considered to be the only free lunch in investing. In a nutshell, by investing in a range of assets, you reduce the risk of one investment’s performance severely hurting the return of your overall investment. You could think of it as financial jargon for “don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.”
In terms of diversification, the greatest amount of difficulty in doing this will come from investments in stocks. As mentioned earlier, the costs of investing in a large number of stocks could be detrimental to the portfolio. With a $1,000 deposit, it is nearly impossible to have a well-diversified portfolio, so be aware that you may need to invest in one or two companies in the first place. This will increase your risk.
This is where the major benefit of mutual funds or ETFs comes into focus. Both types of securities tend to have a large number of stocks and other investments within their funds, which makes them more diversified than a single stock.
Don’t Miss: Can I Move Money From 401k To Ira
Mistake #: Underestimating The Cost And Length Of Retirement
Some crucial factors to take into account:
- Longevity: If you retire around age 65, you could spend a quarter century or more in retirement. Many advisors now urge clients to save enough to last 25 to 30 years.
- Inflation and taxes: Even with relatively mild inflation over the past 25 years, the cost of living has more than doubled. Also consider what taxes youll be paying on the money you distribute from your retirement account.
- Health care: Even with Medicare, you could have expenses for supplemental insurance, some prescription drugs, and nursing home care.
- Lifestyle sticker shock: People in retirement generally need at least 80 percent of their pre-retirement income.
How Much Should I Invest
If you are many years from retirement and struggling with the here-and-now, you may think a 401 plan just isn’t a priority. But the combination of an employer match and a tax benefit make it irresistible.
When starting out, the achievable goal might be a minimum contribution to your 401 plan. That minimum should be the amount that qualifies you for the full match from your employer. To get the full tax savings, you need to contribute the maximum yearly contribution.
Recommended Reading: How Can I Borrow From My 401k Without Penalty
S To Start Investing In Stocks
For those who have not had experience in how to invest in the stock market, the process can feel overwhelming, so youre going to want a guide. The steps arent difficult, so take them one at a time and learn everything you can along the way.
Its important to note that the stock market does have fluctuations, so seek investment advice if you need it. There are no guarantees when it comes to how to invest in stocks but considering a few things can offer insights on how to play the stock market in a way that is comfortable for you. Youll want to:
Reap The Benefits Of Compound Interest
If youre itching to get started investing, great! If youre waiting until you have enough time or money, or for the stock market to cool down or heat up, stop that. Investing any amount of money is never a futile exercise, thanks to the magic of compound interest.
What is compound interest? It’s like a runaway snowball of money growing larger and larger as it rolls along. All you need to get it going is starter money.
As interest starts to accumulate on your initial investment, it is added to your ball of cash. You continue to earn interest, your balance expands in value and picks up speed and on and on it goes.
The sooner you get the snowball rolling, the better. Now lets go over how to make your pennies multiply.
Recommended Reading: Can I Open A 401k For Myself
Think About Opening A Roth 401
If youre looking ahead a few years, you may also want to consider opening a specific type of 401 called a Roth 401. With the Roth version, you fund with after-tax money, but youre able to enjoy tax-free withdrawals at retirement. .)
Tax rates are relatively low, so now could be a good time to fund a Roth 401 rather than a traditional 401.
With the Trump tax law due to sunset in 2025, we are facing higher rates in the future, says Kinder. It could be an excellent time to utilize the Roth 401 option and take advantage of the lower rates now. This is especially true for folks under 40 or folks in the 10 percent or 12 percent tax bracket.
Lower tax rates mean that the cost to take advantage of the Roth plan is lower, since you fund it with after-tax money. Taxpayers in higher brackets may find their break on current taxes is more advantageous, however, and stick to the traditional 401 plan.
This Bankrate calculator can help you decide whether the traditional 401 or Roth 401 is better for you.
Mistake #: Getting Out Of The Market After A Downturn
When the market takes a big hit, you may be tempted to pull out all the stocks in your retirement portfolio. If you do, youll miss the gains if the market turns around. You want to keep a good mix of asset classes in your portfolio: stocks, bonds, and cash. And once a year, you should rebalance to keep your asset allocation on track.
Don’t Miss: What To Do With 401k When You Quit Your Job
