I stopped contributing to my 401K, tell me I am wrong...

[TommyV10]

My company stopped matching all together with the current environment!

 

[wade0731]

Move to a Roth IRA and invest elsewhere in good mutual funds. Get a good advisor.

 

[silasd]

Your company has a poor 401K management company. I'd ask HR to move the 401k management to Fidelity or Vanguard. If those fees, limited choices and low match are true, I would invest in my own IRA at Fidelity or Vanguard first. And given your age, I'd look at a Roth instead of traditional.

I agree with Homers here. At first, I thought you were not going to invest at all, but if you're looking at IRAs, good plan. Everyone is different but for me, I use the 4% rule - multiply your nest egg by 4% and ask yourself if that's enough to live off a year in retirement.

 

[belshawelk]

you still have remember the tax benefit of a 401K. Bringing your taxable income down to start with is top priority. Sounds the program is not the best. I am no 401K expert but mine is way better than that. I have for 25 years taken half of every raise I get and out into my 401k. Started off with 3.5% which the the company match. I am now up to 15% and max out my contribution every year, although now I can go up to 22,5K a year because I am over 50. If you can afford to live off your current salary 9 and you better be able to) then when you get a raise invest 50% of it. You ll never know the difference. If you get a bonus check or commission make sure they allow you contribute at a higher rate if possible. Some do and some do not.

However is you are really taking about investment for long term you have to diversify. I have 401K, mutual funds, stocks and lots of real estate. And again for the love of god, make sure you bring your taxable income down by maxing out all possible deductions. Its not how much you make, its how much you have to pay taxes on.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Predatory fees on 401(k) programs were much more common prior to the 2008 financial crisis. Legislation and consumer demand cleaned most of that up, mostly in the form of more simple and clear fee disclosures. However, some fee-heavy plans are still floating around out there.

I get a match on my first 1% so 1% is all I contribute because fees are 1% of assets annually, which for me is still too high considering the ultra low fee alternatives made more readily available over the last 5-8 years on IRA’s. Vanguard has some very low fee options available, as does td Ameritrade. I’ve used both. Make sure to read ALL the fine print to find the options with the very small fees. Our investments primarily consist of Roths, Coverdells, real estate, and my pension which I cannot opt out of (I would if I could though).

 

[peterk1234]

I agree with Homers here. At first, I thought you were not going to invest at all, but if you're looking at IRAs, good plan. Everyone is different but for me, I use the 4% rule - multiply your nest egg by 4% and ask yourself if that's enough to live off a year in retirement.

This is what we are doing. I am 54, and if everything goes right, as of next friday my wife and I are retired. I think we have enough so I am stopping.