Getting Started in Rebuilding Your 401(k) Account

by Katzeff, Paul

• ISBN13: 9780470485828
• ISBN10: 0470485825
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-06-01
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

The essential guide to getting a 401(k) plan back on trackWhile a majority of workers have money invested in their 401(k) plans-and are relying on these funds for retirement-few truly understand how to manage and maintain these accounts, especially during the recent economic downturn. In 2008 alone, most 401(k) holdings declined by twenty percent. These losses, compounded by plan changes, have only led to more confusion.The Second Edition of Getting Started in Rebuilding Your 401(k) Account offers up-to-date answers to frequently asked questions regarding these accounts and contains simple strategies for improving 401(k) returns-including moving money out of company stock, rolling over plans when leaving an employer, and moving some holdings to FDIC insured banks. Explains the basics of 401(k) plans from what they are to how they work Discusses new rules in the 401 (k) arena, from automatic enrollment to how plans can be taxed Includes information on setting financial goals and choosing the investments that are right for you401(k) plans have become a significant source of retirement funds for many. Learn how to make the most of them with the Second Edition of Getting Started in Rebuilding Your 401(k) Account.

Author Biography

Paul Katzeff is a seasoned personal finance writer with Investor`s Business Daily. He was previously the Boston correspondent for Money magazine for more than a dozen years. Katzeff is the author of Getting Started in 401(k) Investing (Wiley) and the 10 Minute Guide to 401(k) Plans.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction: Hopping onto the 401(k) Bandwagon	p. 1
Understanding Your 401(k) Plan: What It Is, How It Works, And Why You Need One	p. 11
Basics of Your 401(k) Plan	p. 13
Time and Money: Your Plan's Wealth-Building Weapons	p. 25
Understanding More of the Advantages	p. 35
Borrowing from Your 401(k) Account	p. 53
Hardship Withdrawal	p. 65
ABCs of Participation	p. 71
Making Participation Easier: Automatic Enrollment	p. 87
Learning Your Way around Your Plan	p. 95
How to Withdraw Your Money	p. 113
Roth 401(k) Accounts	p. 133
Single-Participant 401(k) Plans	p. 141
Setting Your Financial Goals: How Much Money Will You Need? Where Will Your Retirement Income Come From?	p. 147
How Taxes Can Take a Bite from Your Payouts	p. 149
Living on Less	p. 163
Measuring How Much Income You Will Need: Making Your Retirement Budget	p. 169
How Much Money Do You Need to Save? Use the Retirement Savings Work Sheet in This Chapter to Find Out	p. 181
Making A Game Plan-And Winning-Understanding The Biggest Threat Against Your Retirement Finances, and Knowing How to Select Your Investments	p. 199
Inflation: What It Is, How It Erodes Your Money, and Ways to Cope with It	p. 201
Invest for the Long Haul	p. 211
Invest for Steady Growth	p. 219
Plan Ahead: Investment Strategy, Goals, and Time Horizon	p. 231
What Is a Growth Stock Fund, Anyway?	p. 241
How to Pick a Growth Stock Fund	p. 255
Premixed Funds	p. 267
How to Do Your Investment Research	p. 275
Taking Care of Your Account	p. 283
Navigating Through Tough Times	p. 295
Sources of Information	p. 305
Index	p. 311
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