Comments on: The Magic of Your 401(k) http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-magic-of-your-401k/ Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:10:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: RF http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-magic-of-your-401k/#comment-242004 RF Wed, 15 Apr 2009 07:19:38 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/?p=52463#comment-242004 Very encouraging. Thank you writing this. Very encouraging. Thank you writing this.

]]> By: John Moore http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-magic-of-your-401k/#comment-241965 John Moore Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:18:21 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/?p=52463#comment-241965 There is one gotcha about 401k's... When you take the money out, it is taxed as ordinary income, even if it grew as capital gains. Since taxes may go up substantially in the future, IRA's and 401k's can be a tax trap. This is especially true if you plan to retire at a comfortable income, in the not to far distant future. There is one gotcha about 401k’s…

When you take the money out, it is taxed as ordinary income, even if it grew as capital gains.

Since taxes may go up substantially in the future, IRA’s and 401k’s can be a tax trap. This is especially true if you plan to retire at a comfortable income, in the not to far distant future.

]]> By: weirdone http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-magic-of-your-401k/#comment-241932 weirdone Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:49:44 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/?p=52463#comment-241932 Would we really be better off letting the government manage our money? Is there any entity in the world further in debt than the U.S. Government? Enough said. Would we really be better off letting the government manage our money?

Is there any entity in the world further in debt than the U.S. Government? Enough said.

]]> By: The Historian http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-magic-of-your-401k/#comment-241590 The Historian Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:37:06 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/?p=52463#comment-241590 EURO SOCIALIST STATISM DESERVES A TEA PARTY Tax and spend never fixed a strained economy. Prosperity lies in the opposite direction. http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2009/04/obvious-path-back-to-prosperity.html EURO SOCIALIST STATISM DESERVES A TEA PARTY
Tax and spend never fixed a strained economy. Prosperity lies in the opposite direction.

http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2009/04/obvious-path-back-to-prosperity.html

]]> By: Mr Lucky http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-magic-of-your-401k/#comment-241519 Mr Lucky Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:01:19 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/?p=52463#comment-241519 I think Mr. Graham got the 401k end of it correct, but he did not include in the equation the debt that many have incurred during this the march to 14,000. If you factor in the interest paid on credit cards, car loans and home loans the 401k plan may not look as attractive as diverting (in the least) some of the 401k contributions for paying down your debt, or staying out of debt. Many just pay the minimum. When money becomes short, you have the distinct possibility of losing much of your non-401k investments (car, house, furniture, wife/husband/children etc.) investment because you cannot maintain the debt. A 401k strategy is just part of the picture. You never really own what you have until that last payment is made. Better yet, pay cash when possible. I think Mr. Graham got the 401k end of it correct, but he did not include in the equation the debt that many have incurred during this the march to 14,000. If you factor in the interest paid on credit cards, car loans and home loans the 401k plan may not look as attractive as diverting (in the least) some of the 401k contributions for paying down your debt, or staying out of debt.

Many just pay the minimum. When money becomes short, you have the distinct possibility of losing much of your non-401k investments (car, house, furniture, wife/husband/children etc.) investment because you cannot maintain the debt.

A 401k strategy is just part of the picture.

You never really own what you have until that last payment is made. Better yet, pay cash when possible.

]]> By: Delia http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-magic-of-your-401k/#comment-241452 Delia Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:22:51 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/?p=52463#comment-241452 We spent our 401k already [dental work]. The hubby and I figured we might as well spend it now before it's gone on things we've put off. We spent our 401k already [dental work]. The hubby and I figured we might as well spend it now before it’s gone on things we’ve put off.

]]> By: Paul -Indiana http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-magic-of-your-401k/#comment-241405 Paul -Indiana Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:10:25 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/?p=52463#comment-241405 As long as the government is handing out bailouts, why don't they return to Social Security, the money they took from the 'lockbox'? As long as the government is handing out bailouts, why don’t they return to Social Security, the money they took from the ‘lockbox’?

]]> By: therealist http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-magic-of-your-401k/#comment-241275 therealist Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:26:17 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/?p=52463#comment-241275 Good article. The liberal vision is that you give 15% of your salary to the government as a pension contribution and then hope that they will treat you fairly when you're 65 years old and completely helpless. Yet, the social security fund is empty and has been for years, despite the promises of a "lockbox" and an expected future obligation in the tens of trillions of dollars. It's shaping up to be the greatest moral failing the world has ever seen, and if you're in the generation behind the boomers then you've been thrown to the wolves. In fact, Obama has greatly accelerated the social security crisis by busting the budget while throwing the brakes on future economic growth, so maybe the younger boomers will be living in the Obamavilles too. Good article. The liberal vision is that you give 15% of your salary to the government as a pension contribution and then hope that they will treat you fairly when you’re 65 years old and completely helpless. Yet, the social security fund is empty and has been for years, despite the promises of a “lockbox” and an expected future obligation in the tens of trillions of dollars. It’s shaping up to be the greatest moral failing the world has ever seen, and if you’re in the generation behind the boomers then you’ve been thrown to the wolves. In fact, Obama has greatly accelerated the social security crisis by busting the budget while throwing the brakes on future economic growth, so maybe the younger boomers will be living in the Obamavilles too.

]]> By: Marc Boyd http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-magic-of-your-401k/#comment-241204 Marc Boyd Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:50:36 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/?p=52463#comment-241204 My add on comment to the above. I suffered no losses in the ongoing market mayhem because I was listening to the market, Investment commenters, and the charts. In other words I was paying attention. I also got out of Magellan when Peter Lynch got out. Seems it made good sense. It got way too big. Marc My add on comment to the above.

I suffered no losses in the ongoing market mayhem because I was listening to the market, Investment commenters, and the charts. In other words I was paying attention. I also got out of Magellan when Peter Lynch got out. Seems it made good sense. It got way too big.

Marc

]]> By: Marc Boyd http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-magic-of-your-401k/#comment-241192 Marc Boyd Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:12:38 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/?p=52463#comment-241192 One problem that I have seen with how people invest in their Company sponsored Thrift plans and 401(k)s is that they think that they are too busy to monitor the investment selections they have made. I started in 1980 with CONOCO who offered both a stock investment plan and a Thrift plan. I maxed out the matching funds every year. I pretty much ignored the investments for years. I had everything in Magellan in the Thrift plan and made a ton of money until the 1987 mini crash. That was a wakeup for me. It quickly bounced back. I started monitoring my investments on a daily basis after that. Now the internet lets anyone monitor their investments in near real time. If you have a Charles Schwab account you can get real time pricing on demand. For charting, BigCharts is tops: http://bigcharts.marketwatch.com/markets/indexes.asp You don't need to log on or pay for the basic service. They also offer Options chains, for those who know how. I have used Options for years to capture a Buy/Sell price. If you are going to invest in any stock or ETF, you really need to learn simple charting signs and have a strategy to enter and exit the market. I use EMA and Bollinger bands to visualize the trends. Use the 6 Mo time frame for the general trend and the 5 or 10 day for entry timing. I am now a half or 3/4 millionaire at 65. I got out of stocks when the market got iffy and into the gold ETF (GLD) when gold was $350/oz. I cashed out at over $900. Use the charts, or learn to use them. Hope this helps someone. Marc One problem that I have seen with how people invest in their Company sponsored Thrift plans and 401(k)s is that they think that they are too busy to monitor the investment selections they have made.

I started in 1980 with CONOCO who offered both a stock investment plan and a Thrift plan. I maxed out the matching funds every year. I pretty much ignored the investments for years. I had everything in Magellan in the Thrift plan and made a ton of money until the 1987 mini crash. That was a wakeup for me. It quickly bounced back. I started monitoring my investments on a daily basis after that.

Now the internet lets anyone monitor their investments in near real time. If you have a Charles Schwab account you can get real time pricing on demand. For charting, BigCharts is tops:

http://bigcharts.marketwatch.com/markets/indexes.asp

You don’t need to log on or pay for the basic service. They also offer Options chains, for those who know how. I have used Options for years to capture a Buy/Sell price.

If you are going to invest in any stock or ETF, you really need to learn simple charting signs and have a strategy to enter and exit the market. I use EMA and Bollinger bands to visualize the trends.

Use the 6 Mo time frame for the general trend and the 5 or 10 day for entry timing.

I am now a half or 3/4 millionaire at 65. I got out of stocks when the market got iffy and into the gold ETF (GLD) when gold was $350/oz. I cashed out at over $900. Use the charts, or learn to use them.

Hope this helps someone.

Marc

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