RETIREMENT PLANNING » IRA & ROTH ACCOUNTS

If you're afraid to look at your 401K statement this quarter, you're not alone. The recent stock market nose-dive has taken its toll on the retirement savings of millions of Americans, and you probably don't need us to tell you that your portfolio hasn't been performing well. But what you might not know is that for most people, your average 401(k) portfolio is not the most well-rounded portfolio you can get. In fact, there are five common problems with the average American's 401(k) plan that might be leaking money from your retirement fund. Take a look at these and see if any of them sound familiar.

1. The Useless Tax Deduction
   The main selling point of a 401(k) plan is usually the tax shelter it provides by making your "pre-tax" income contribution earn interest. However, many people don't realize that the tax on that income is only deferred until retirement. When you take that money back out of your 401(k), you will be paying tax on that money, as well as the interest it accrues. For workers in entry-level jobs, or those in low tax brackets who don't pay a lot in taxes anyway, it might make more sense to pay the tax now and get a Roth 401(k) or Roth IRA. Unfortunately, less than 21% of 401(k) plans offer the Roth option, according to the Profit Sharing/401(k) Council of America.
2. All Large Caps
   One of the most common complaints about 401(k) plans is that their investment portfolios are weighted heavily in the same types of investments: large-capitalization U.S. stocks. These are exactly the types of stocks that tanked in the last year, dragging down many people's retirement hopes along with the market. A more diversified portfolio, featuring small-cap American and foreign stocks, commodities, or specialized bear market portfolios would be a better bet, but unfortunately its rare to see these choices in most standard plans.
3. All Bonds Are Not Alike
   Your typical 401(k) may have up to 20 stock fund choices but only one bond fund and chances are that bond got hit hard by falling interest rates this year. But have you heard of inflation-protected bonds? Treasury inflation-protected securities, or TIPS funds, grow your money at a rate to beat inflation. Trouble is, most 401(k) plans don't offer them.
4. Using your 401(k) as an ATM
   Some employers allow you to take out low-cost loans against your 401(k) balance, and some even go so far as to make that loan amount available as a debit card. While borrowers may rationalize using the loan as "paying interest to yourself," the fact is you are using the money that could be earning returns as an investment, and sacrificing the compounded interest that is supposed to build your nest egg.
5. Rollover Rights getting Rolled Over
   The Employee Retirement Security Act, or ERISA, is supposed to allow employees near retirement age the ability to roll out of their current 401(k) and into an IRA plan. These are called "in-service rollovers." However, some plans discourage or even forbid these in an attempt to keep assets within the company plan. If you find yourself in this situation, contact your plan's investment committee. And if they are not responsive, you have the right to complain to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Now that you know some of the set backs of 401(k) plans - make sure you get the best advice from a financial advisor so that you can pick the right type of investment for your 401(k) plan if you are allow to choose what kind of investments you can pick from. On that note, find out the best retirement account that will fit your retirement needs.

Due in large part to the dramatic losses in 401k's, IRA's and other retirement accounts in the past year, many Americans are starting to question whether the tools they've trusted to calculate and balance their retirement portfolios were broken, inadequate or simply outdated. And in response, software companies are rolling out a host of new products in hopes of better predicting the savings needs of families and the potential risks associated with investing.

Most tools generally use an average rate of return to calculate how much you're saving and need to save each year, month and day in order to meet your goal. Even the highly touted Monte Carlo, a program that calculated the probability that savers would reach their retirement goal in a variety of scenarios based on investment period, amount, and types, was inadequate in predicting the halving of people's retirement accounts this year.

But while not all investment experts agree on the usefulness of investing software, many agree that investor knowledge is the most important aspect to growing your money. That's because while you can rely on simulations, there is nothing that beats understanding your investment and the associated risks. And in order to grow your retirement accounts, you actually have to be funding it despite market conditions.

For the latest information on 401k's, IRA's and other retirement accounts, visit Go Banking Rates regularly.

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