my husband's ever shrinking 401K balance

[jIM_Ohio]

And require all employees to attend.

Maybe or maybe not... access to someone to answer specific questions about specific situations is what the employer needs to offer.

If people choose to not learn, not anyone's fault but their own.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

The reason why 401ks suck is because people don't participate. How many people (myself included) saw their parents retire with almost nothing in a 401k?

Why? My mom gets $4k/month or something from a pension. Too bad the state is going broke because of it.

[GREENBACK]

If people choose to not learn, not anyone's fault but their own.

With social security going the way it is I think it's in everyone's best interest to get people to pay attention. I agree it's their fault to remain in the dark but it will, in many ways, affect us all.

[jIM_Ohio]

With social security going the way it is I think it's in everyone's best interest to get people to pay attention. I agree it's their fault to remain in the dark but it will, in many ways, affect us all.

To suggest your stupidity, or someone else's really affect me means you haven't read my signature recently.

[disneysteve]

To suggest your stupidity, or someone else's really affect me means you haven't read my signature recently.

Very funny. Seriously, though, other people's stupidity does affect the rest of us. Look at the current economic mess, particularly the housing market (and stock market, of course). If bankers and mortgages companies, along with unqualified buyers, wouldn't have all made such boneheaded moves, we wouldn't be in the mess we're in.

What do you think will happen 10 or 20 years from now when all these workers start retiring with next to nothing in their 401k accounts because they never got around to signing up, or they signed up and only put in 1 or 2% or put all their money in the money market option and only accumulated maybe 100K? That's got to burden the system, maybe result in higher taxes, etc.

[jIM_Ohio]

SS is a payroll tax, and if I am not working, that is one tax I will NOT have to pay.

The banks got into this mess because the politicians required them (by laws passed under Clinton) which required loans to minorities (who were not qualified to borrow before).

Government got too big... some President will come along like Reagan did in 1980 and cut government. Not sure who it will be, but it will happen in the next 16 years.

[Goldy1]

yea and further bring down economic confidence and therefore our 401k's even more. I think a stiff wind in the bahamas brings down my 401K. It scares me that so many variables out of my control bring it down.

Also if you job is not secure, you are less likely to invest.
Years ago I worked for a nonprofit and signed up for 401K day 1 which was allowed. The advisor for the plan came in to do a seminar, and we had the "option" of going and listening. It was a seminar on benefits of the 401K.
The executive director walked past my cube and said "you going to the...oh wait you're too young to even THINK about retirement" I didn't say anything back but it was the most condescending thing ever said to me lol

Funny a person heading a national nonprofit would think one is too young to think of retirement(I was about 27 at the time by the way..she probably thought I was younger due to my looks)

[Goldy1]

oh it's at 60K today..I am going to stop looking which I did do months ago.

[Goldy1]

also I noticed it is 75% stocks and 25% bonds and considered moderate..that doesn't sound moderate to me but aggressive.