401K & Investments

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Consider a session with a financial advisor. They may cost a bit but a good advisor should be very helpful to you in interpreting the information you read in the prospectuses.

gosh it would sound sooo much better if it was PROSPECTI

cactuses, octopuses, hmmm

sorry dixie!!!!

[Jenn! 918]

Consider a session with a financial advisor. They may cost a bit but a good advisor should be very helpful to you in interpreting the information you read in the prospectuses.

gosh it would sound sooo much better if it was PROSPECTI

cactuses, octopuses, hmmm

sorry dixie!!!!

LOL, I had to double check before I wrote "prospecti" above to make sure. Seems both prospectuses and prospecti are acceptable forms....

Ok, I take it back! The source I used to check was incorrect! Prospectuses is correct. Doh!

Edited June 9, 2006 by jenn3539

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Yeah. Match that 5% like others said. Free money!!

[Dixie_Peach 1]

Yeah. Match that 5% like others said. Free money!!

i am actually going to take 10% from my payroll each week... i can afford it... and let the boss match the 5%... just need to figure out the investment part... lol... still working on that...... doing some research... waiting on nationwide... they actually called and will have a rep to come BACK to the office to talk to me!

yay!

[cmartyn 0]

I see no point in putting anything above and beyond what your employer will match into your employers 401K unless there is some hot shot nowhere else available investment opportunity.. Like free company stock or something.

The fees on those funds, coupled with the management fees, whatever they may be, will be far higher than what it would be if you just opened an account directly with a fund company. It might only be 1/2 point or something but if you add up 1/2 point over 30 years, it will be enough to buy a new 500SL for a lot of people.

I see no reason to have ones investment choices restricted by their employer.

I am not advising against a 401K, just using your employers 401K exclusively.

[almaty 19]

my boss IS offering a match... but not over 5%...

dollar to dollar on the first 5%? That's pretty good. My employer sucks.

he is a capitalist chopf##k

[workin4somethin 0]

Okay, so the deal is that my boss will implement 401K next week. I am eager to participate, but I am not savvy about investment options.

....... hope you can help. Thanks!

Lynne

Lynn,

I own a pension company, and I analyze situations like yours. If you would like the assistance of a pension professional, please send me a private message. I should be able to help you, and it will not cost you anything but a little of your time.

In any event, I hope you find the new 401(k) plan to be a good benefit.

[Dixie_Peach 1]

Okay, so the deal is that my boss will implement 401K next week. I am eager to participate, but I am not savvy about investment options.

....... hope you can help. Thanks!

Lynne

Lynn,

I own a pension company, and I analyze situations like yours. If you would like the assistance of a pension professional, please send me a private message. I should be able to help you, and it will not cost you anything but a little of your time.

In any event, I hope you find the new 401(k) plan to be a good benefit.

Ah, you are a God-send!!! Thank you so much!!! Would you like my personal email for correspondence? I really am at a loss here as to what to look for in investments... i think i should have taken some kind of class when in college for Business Management... *sigh*... I don't even know how to read the stock market in the wall-street journal... i feel like a big dummy! and, certainly... i appreciate the free advice and guidance... you know how this process can certainly cost...

God Bless,

Lynne

[workin4somethin 0]

I am always glad to see people who are excited about saving money toward retirement, and I believe that a 401(k) plan is one of the best tools available for doing so.

I read that you will meet with an investment advisor from Nationwide. This must be done before you select your actual investments. The investment advisor can provide you with insight and basic tools you will need in order for you to decide on which mutual funds you will invest in. There really is nobody, short of an investment advisor, who should be giving you advice as to which investment funds to use. Perhaps your spouse and other family or close friends are an exception to this rule.

Nationwide has a tool on their website (nationwide.com) that you should use, and which I think you will find helpful if not interesting. To arrive there to their website; click on “investments and retirement” (near top/center of Page); Then click on “Tools” (in left column of Page); and, complete the data to see the results. It is possible that the investment advisor will lead you to this particular worksheet. And you can gain some knowledge, as well, by reading through the information found under the “Learn About” heading (left column of Page, near “Tools”).

Remember, time with a licensed investment advisor cannot be replaced by assumptions from people who use VisaJourney. Also, try to look at investment planning under the 401(k) plan as long-term, because it is. There are rules in place that severely limit or prohibit the use of 401(k) funds for things other than retirement.

This is all I will share for now. However, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time regarding your employer’s 401(k) plan. I realize they are complex. By the way, be sure to get a copy of the Summary Plan Description (the “SPD”) from your employer, and read through it. The SPD will not contain much if any investment material, but it is a great source for other information relating to the new plan.

Best wishes!

[Dixie_Peach 1]

Thank you so much!!! Nationwide's representative has NOT come to speak with me yet... still waiting for him to show up... if it is the same one that i met before, he makes me a little uncomfortable...

I will check out the nationwide website... and get back to ya...

Thank you so much again...God Bless, and have a wonderful day!

Lynne

[LenJayUS 0]

Okay, so the deal is that my boss will implement 401K next week. I am eager to participate, but I am not savvy about investment options.

This is the list that is on the packet... please give your input or experience so that I can weigh and evaluate my options... thank you for your help!

Asset Class Fund Name

SP Rydex Real Estate Fund C1 H - either RYCRX or RYHRX

IS Euro-Pacific Grth Fund R3 - Couldn't find this - though I think this is probably it - RERCX

IS Evergreen Glbl Opp Fd A - EKGAX

SC GdmnScs Core Sm Cap Fd A - Not sure what the abbreviated name is

SC Wells Fargo Sm Co Val Fd A - SCVAX

MC Fid Adv Leveraged Co Stk A - FLSAX

MC GdmnScs MidCp Value Fd A - Same as the other gdmnScs - don't know the name

LC AMCAP Fund ClassR3 Shares - RAFCX

LC Wash Mutual Investors R3 - I think it's RWMCX

LC Fidelity Adv Freedom 2040 A - FAFFX

LC GrdmnScs Core US Eqty Fd A - Don't know, per the other 2

LC RvrSrc Divrs Eq Inc Fd A - Don't Know, per abbreviated name

BA Amer Balanced Fund R3 Shs - RLBCX

BA Capital Income Builder R3 - Don't Know

BA Income Fund of America R3 - Don't Know

BA Fidelity Adv Freedm 2005 A -

BA Fidelity Adv Freedm 2015 A

BA Fidelity Adv Freedm 2025 A

BA Fidelity Adv Freedm 2035 A

BA FidelityAdv Freedom 2010 A

BA FidelityAdv Freedom 2020 A

BA FidelityAdv Freedom 2030 A

BD Bond Fund of America R3

BD Dodge & Cox Income Fund

BD EV Gov Obligations Fd Cl A

BD MFS High Yield Oppor Fd A

BD PIMCO TtlRetrn Fnd Cls A - PTTAX

BD RvrSrc Divrs Bd Fd A

I have NO idea what these are... and have done... and will continue to look for them on the internet... but to be truthful, I have no idea what I am looking at... anyways, hope you can help. Thanks!

Lynne

Lynne,

Saving for your future, when you retire, is something great. I noticed someone here has a negative comment about investing into your employer's 401K, but the one I have (technically not a 401k, but it's basically the same thing) I would pay the same amount of "fee's" if I went with the same mutual funds on my own.

Indeed, the best person to give you advice would be a financial advisor. They can tell you alot more info on each fund, what's best based on your situation (age, time to retirement, etc). I can offer this much advice though. Most 401k's are mutual funds. Basically what that means is, you pay money into the VJ mutal fund (totally made up). VJ has a manager that invests everyone's money into different stocks and bonds. They do all of the work of looking at market trends, what will make money, what's time to sell, etc. So you don't have to be glued to the stock prices and what not. Mutual fund prices update just once a day, versus stock prices changing by the minute. http://mutualfunds.about.com/?rd=1 That might tell you a bit about mutual funds.

If your younger, with a while before retirement, then you can take a bit more risky choices. I have about 27 years before I can retire from my job, and that will be before the SS retirement age. So I invest into all 3 risk catagories. High Risk has bigger payoffs in the long term - normally. Low risk, well, not as well of a payoff normally. But this is a common misconception I find in alot of people. You only lose what you invested if you sell your mutual fund shares when the fund is doing bad. You'll be investing each month basically, which works out as dollar cost averaging. Basically it helps limit some of the risk in the long term.

If you take your list above and do a search on a financial site, you should be able to find the fund codes.. I'll try and do some of them. I personally look at the long term graph of the fund's price. Riskier one's will normally have lots of ups and downs. Low risk will have a generally straight line graph. This is where you need the advice of a professional. While my way of doing things for me has so far seen my portfoilio valued about about 600.00 more then I've paid into it (haven't been doing the 401k type thing long), doesn't mean it would be your best bet.

I've done some looking for some of the funds listed above (but the symbol for it next to the name)... need to go for now, I'll finish the rest later. BTW, some of the one's that your offered, I have as well :-)

[Dixie_Peach 1]

LenJay... and Andrew...

I have spent the morning looking these up on the internet... but, either I don't know what I am looking at... (one of the codes brought up a naked woman... good heavens... i am hoping i typed it in wrong...)...

Why can I be good with accounting... and so lame @ investments? That is so ironic!!! I am trying to learn, but do not know what annuities are... ira's... and have called nationwide again this morning... to see if i could get help over the phone... they keep telling me that they will send someone... maybe i am just bugging them too much... lol

But, I have not given up! lol

Gonna go forward and LEARN!

Thanks guys!