Just started 401k and maxed out on it was this a huge mistake ?

Question

the economy isnt looking good at all right now. should ppl be holding off right now

Answer 1

No.

The rule of thumb to making money in investing is (1) see if you can figure out what everyone else is doing and (2) do the opposite.

When the crowd says "buy," sell.  When everyone says, "sell," buy.

In short, 401(k) is long term (10 years plus) money.  Until you are nearing your need for the money (retirement) it is a really bad idea to make choices on short term activity for long term goals.

Answer 2

It's simply the best thing you could have ever done.  My first two years in a 401K I lost a ton of money.  Today, 30+ years later, I'm doing very well in that account.

With the right "asset allocation".... you'll be buying shares "on sale" right now.........  not too shabby!

DON'T TIME THE MARKET.... It's the number one mistake of new investors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...

Answer 3

No it is not a mistake.  Retirement investing is for the long term.  Keep making regular contributions.  Don't try to time the markets and get caught up in daily headlines.

Answer 4

I just got my car tuned up...now I'm stuck at a red light...did I make a huge mistake?

... in other words...don't fret, things change...

... your 401 is a good investment in YOUR future...no matter what happens next week, next month, or the next ten years.

... even if you only get " mediocre" returns over time...it WILL add up to a nice nest-egg someday. ( nice to know, seeing as your government can't run an efficient retirement program )

  But, even better than " maxing" the 401, is to save a little of  that money, and open a ROTH IRA for yourself...do it with an " investment firm" not the bank...as you watch the portions of your 401 earn money you will get some idea of what " investing" is... in your IRA you can choose from thousands of different funds that can do much better than the 401...so do a little of the work yourself and select a fund or two that will grow for you BESIDES the 401...and hopefully grow at an even better rate... AND THE BIG PAYOFF: when it comes time to withdraw, it's ALL YOURS...no income tax !

Answer 5

Nope.  No way the stock market can match that return.

Lets say the max is 15%.  Lets further say employer match is capped at 5%.

Well, you just received a guaranteed 33% ROI after vesting.

You ask anyone if they would invest in something that absolutely guarantees a 33% annual return...100% of persons asked would jump on it.

EDIT

And if that 401K is invested in the market (say an index fund)...you just mirrored the market's gain as well.

Answer 6

Someone once said being in the stock market is like watching someone going upstairs while playing with a yo-yo. Keep your eyes on the stairs, not the yo-yo.

But be sure you know your risk tolerance and base your asset allocation on that. Here's how:

http://www.saveyournestegg.com/diy.html

And use low-cost index funds if possible.

Answer 7

It's probably one of the best choices you could make. A 401K is long-term, and the recession is short term. Once the economy starts going back up, the 401K will start going up.

Answer 8

No it was not a mistake Our economy as always had its ups and downs. In the long run the bulls(up) have always beaten the bears(down).I assume that by the nature of your question that you are young. I assure you that you are off to a good start (even though the tire needs air).There are some very good retirement calculators at such sites as Yahoo finance among others.If have the chance discuss these things with experienced investors.just the difference between a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA could easily be a $1,000,000 in 30 to 40 years.I feel your IRA or 401k are more important than the purchase of your home. Please do your homework and some day you will an independent retiree. You don't need good luck, just good planning.

Answer 9

Your 401k is a longterm investment. If you chose wisely(i.e., low cost, indexed or well-managed, reputable mutual funds), you've bought a lot of stuff on sale. Prepare to enjoy the benefits 30 years down the line.

Answer 10

Inflation will drag down the value of your savings.  You need to save more to ensure your retirement security.  Max out your 401k if you can afford it.

Answer 11

There is nothing wrong with putting a lot of money into 401K, because of the tax advantages.  However, if the company is not matching, then you might want to diversify and save some money into savings and other investments for the nearer term.  After all, you'll probably want to buy a house, cars, and other things in life before you're 60.

I will be the one person who will go against everyone else here in terms of investing your 401k money.  It is worth studying the options in your 401k plan, and unfortunately they are very limited.  If you put your money into a mutual fund and it does poorly, then you will lose money.  There is no guarantee that any of the funds will outperform the markets, and there is no guarantee that stocks will rise forever.  You can and will lose money in crashes, if your balance drops by 50%, then you will need a 100% return after that to get back to even.  It's simply math and recovering from losses is no easy feat.

What the fund managers forget to mention, that S&P 500 has only returned back to 2000 levels... 0% is hardly a good return after 8 years.  And 80% of mutual funds underperform the S&P Index.... again hardly a guarantee there.

Outlook for this year?  Not looking so hot, we are down for the year and my personal opinion is it only gets worse for the next 12 months.  I would put that money in a money market or bond fund if your 401k has it... ideally maybe some treasuries.

This isn't your conventional 401k investing advise you hear, but then again I'm not the sales guy trying to get you to invest your 401k money into my brokerage firm.  It's worth doing some good research, after all it's your money:)