I was just interviewed again by the Wall Street Journal for an episode of their “Your Money Briefing” podcast.
The episode is described as, “Financial security expert Pamela Yellen explains why employees should take control of their 401(k) retirement investments and not rely on their employer to invest for them.”
In this eye-opening interview I discuss:
- Why it’s very likely that your 401(k) money is in a Target Date Fund (TDF) – even if you didn’t authorize it or request it – and three reasons that should concern you
- 98% of all employers use TDFs, and 90% have it as the “default option,” which means they automatically put your money there unless you specifically direct them to do otherwise – and almost no one does
- Near retirement? You’re not protected! TDFs are supposed to dial back risk as you near retirement, but in practice, that hasn’t happened. In 2008, some TDFs designed for participants expecting to retire in two years lost as much as 40%!
- How the shockingly high fees of TDFs devour your hard-earned savings
- The dangers of having your retirement savings in a one-size-fits-all financial vehicle
- How to quickly and easily do your own research to compare the mutual fund options your 401(k) offers
- How to protect your retirement savings from market volatility and ensure a guaranteed income for life
