A 401(k) match is one the ‘rare guarantees’ in investing, CFP says

A 401(k) match is one the ‘rare guarantees’ in investing, CFP says

Nitat Termmee | Moment | Getty Images There are few certainties when it comes to investing. The stock market can seem to gyrate with little rhyme or reason, guided up or down by unpredictable news cycles and fickle investor sentiment. Average stock returns have historically trended up over long time periods, but their trajectory is … Read more

What to know before making mega backdoor Roth conversions

What to know before making mega backdoor Roth conversions

If you’re a higher earner and looking to boost tax-free retirement savings, there’s a lesser-known strategy that could be worth considering. While Roth individual retirement accounts offer tax-free growth and other benefits, some investors earn too much for direct contributions. For 2024, the adjusted gross income limits for Roth IRA contributions are $161,000 for single filers … Read more

Why you may be saving more in your 401(k) — and not even know it

Why you may be saving more in your 401(k) — and not even know it

Aleksandarnakic | E+ | Getty Images You may be saving more money for retirement and not even know it. An increasing share of employers are automating how people save in their company 401(k) plans, in a bid to overcome the inertia that often keeps us from building a nest egg. “Automatic escalation” — or auto-escalation, … Read more

Labor Department cracks down on bad retirement savings advice

Labor Department cracks down on bad retirement savings advice

The U.S. Department of Labor headquarters in Washington. Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images The Biden administration issued a final rule on Tuesday that cracks down on the investment advice that advisors, brokers, insurance agents and others give to retirement savers. The U.S. Department of Labor regulation — which follows a rule proposal in October — … Read more

Policy changes look to reduce 401(k) plan ‘leakage’

Policy changes look to reduce 401(k) plan ‘leakage’

Sturti | E+ | Getty Images Leaks aren’t just a problem for pipes. Billions of dollars a year drip from the U.S. retirement system when investors cash out their 401(k) plan accounts, potentially crippling their odds of growing an adequate nest egg. The issue largely affects job switchers — especially those with small accounts — … Read more

Millennials’ retirement outlook may be worse than older generations

Millennials’ retirement outlook may be worse than older generations

JGI/Jamie Grill | Blend Images | Getty Images Millennials’ retirement prospects seem rockier than those of older generations of Americans. That’s largely a function of long-term policy changes such as a later age for full Social Security benefits and a shift to 401(k)-type plans, longer average lifespans and a bigger student debt burden relative to … Read more

How high earners can maximize their 401(k) contributions in 2024

How high earners can maximize their 401(k) contributions in 2024

Klaus Vedfelt | Getty Images To live your best life in retirement, it helps to make the most contributions while you’re working. Employees who participate in 401(k) plans can put up to $23,000 in pretax or post-tax Roth contributions in 2024. But there’s another limit, $69,000, including employee and employer contributions, that may let workers … Read more