as a financial illiterate stuck with a 401k, what do i do? (moist.catsweat.com)

submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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as many americans forced to run with a 401k because we dont know any better and its the 'path of least resistance' to a retirement account... what do we do in the face of a dying democracy and economy?

id love to move it to some 'foreign' investments, but is that even a possible option? do i just hope and wait for stability to return at some point in the future or is it hookers and blow time?

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[-] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

It seems you’re asking a few questions.

One, a 401k is not your only route for investment. Depending on your income you can also differ to a ROTH 401k with tax benefits.

You should start your IRA/ROTH IRA if you can invest more than what’s in your 401k which is limited to work.

I would say if you have cash now is a good time to invest with recent discounts but following Jack Bogle’s ideology, time in the market beats trying to time the market every time. Vanguard has two index funds that are commonly recommended for this strategy, VT and VTI. I forget but I think the ~~latter~~ former is the international fund which allows you to have a balance between American investments and world wide investments.

The economy will come back in country and out. If it doesn’t I think we will have bigger problems than money.

Bogleheads site where you can easily find the forum and wiki.

Here’s a link which has a lot of helpful topics one including preparing for retirement.

Edit info:

I was wrong, VT is total world https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/VT?p=VT

VTI is US https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/VTI?p=VTI

[-] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

hmmmmmmmmmm i do have a vangaurd account for nonsense/vanity stocks... ill check out VTI. thanks!

ive got ~10 years i can wait for it to come back around.. .thats only 2.5 presidents!

[-] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

I think that philosophy actually starts to shift their portfolio more to bonds at some point for stability. Maybe read into it

[-] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

Sure when you get close to retiremet. however don't move too soon as you likely have decades to live and so need to ride it ot.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

How close? OP said they’re ten years away

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Depends on unknowable factors like how old you will live to.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

You don't know? 103 for me...

[-] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

You don’t have to have an account with them to access their index funds :) but that certainly works!

I was wrong, VT is total world https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/VT?p=VT

VTI is US https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/VTI?p=VTI

this post was submitted on 08 Apr 2025

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