Clark Howard's Tips
Is your 401k plan ripping you off?Thursday, March 15, 2007
The Government Accountability Office has found out that 401k plans are ripping off workers investing in them by swiping massive fees from you each year. Some of them are taking as much as 5 percent a year off the top.
Under law, there is no requirement that you be told what you're being charged for "maintenance and fees." So, it's allowed insurance companies to take advantage of investors.
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CLARK'S TIP TOPICS
Find more consumer advice in Clark Howard's book, "Get Clark Smart" |
If you own a business, you need to ask point blank exactly what you're being charged. If you're an employee and you think your account isn't increasing as much as it should, you want to ask your human resources department what the fee schedule is. If it turns out that the plan is a rip off, you should consider moving your money into a Roth IRA.
The best way for business owner to tell if they are getting taken is if your plan is from either an insurance company or stock brokerage company. You may want to consider setting up with Fidelity and Vanguard, the two biggest 401k administrators in the country. You can't go wrong with either one, but Vanguard is definitely the least expensive.
You should always save for your own retirement. But Clark doesn't want you to get ripped off. So, ask questions and make sure you see the numbers.
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