Putting your 401k in auto-pilot could be the right choice for your retirement. Studies have shown and you can probably attest to the report that most families cant, dont, or wont put enough monies back for their retirement. The sad truth is, two thirds of American workers over 50, have less than $50,000 set aside in their retirement accounts.
IRAs and 401k accounts are a great slow pay retirement method of choice, but Again, the keyword here is choice. Its hard to contribute to a rainy day account when its already raining. With several American companies eluding from company pension plans and paying their employees with stocks or stock options, the new trend is to have a percentage of their employees paycheck automatically placed into a 401k account and this is slowly improving the retirement outlook across the nation.
IRA and 401k accounts are beginning to show signs of an upward trend in both account balances and popularity among American workers. Since many companies have either failed to perform as expected, or in worse case scenarios, have cut back mainly from the employee benefits, auto-enrolling and auto-contributions into 401k accounts are really a positive, yet slightly painful approach to generating a better retirement outlook for most Americans.
Considering the constant erosion of the American workers benefits and the increase in healthcare costs, it is to all of our benefit that we take a more aggressive stand to planning our retirement.
Auto-enrollment has shown that employers who automatically enroll new-hires and current workers into a 1 to 6 percent 401k payroll deduction with the option to allow employees to opt out has only seen a small percentage of employees actual choose to stop this deduction. By urging or actually enrolling employees into their 401k accounts has taken the positive steps toward seeing a more optimistic future for retirees.
Auto-investment is where a worker is automatically enrolled in a 401k plan and is generally assigned to an investment option of the companys choosing or the employee can opt to choose from a list of investments such as a money market fund. To further offer more options, diversifying an employees choices can give an active investor the opportunity to select and track their monies for greater returns.
The main purpose of all the different options available is to strengthen the long term investing in your future and your retirement. Whether its an IRA, 401k or some other savings plan, you are responsible for your financial future. Any assistance that you think you need, there are financial advisors that will show you your options and what fits your budget and affordability to get the most from your efforts. Explore your options and expand on your understanding of how retirement should work for you instead of working through your retirement age. We all think we can live and work forever but the reality is quite different. The burden of support for you should remain with you.
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Jim is an online entrepreneur that shares his findings and reports them for the benefit of his readers. Today he has some valuable insights on retirement planning. http://wealthsmith.com/your-ira-401k.htm