My goodness, it is that time of the calendar year again. Summer vacations are in the books. The kids are back in school. The NFL season has begun and Fantasy Football picks are disappointing so-called experts already.
September slows down the pace of daily commitments and weekend obligations for both parents and grandparents. There is now more time to pay much closer attention to personal finances.
Reviewing the current status of your company 401(k) retirement plan account is a great place to spend your newfound time.
Three current factors have contributed to your current all-time high company 401(k) retirement plan value. The U.S. stock markets are up, interest rates are near all-time lows, and the majority of your 2016 company 401(k) retirement plan contributions have been made.
September has the reputation as a very volatile stock market month. That reputation is earned by the fact that October has recorded some of the worst stock market crashes in history.
Many company 401(k) retirement plan menu mutual funds have their fiscal year end in September. Mutual fund managers often sell losing positions this month in an effort to wash away last year’s investing mistakes.
U.S. stocks have already begun to slip in September. Already skittish institutional investors may use that weakness as a reason to accelerate stock sales. If the Federal Reserve raises interest rates later this month, company 401(k) retirement plan mutual funds may get a rare double negative whammy.
Are you comfortable or qualified to take on the responsibility to make investment management decisions in your company 401(k) retirement plan account? Consider the following examples.
You don’t fix your car. You don’t examine your teeth. You don’t give yourself an annual physical examination and medical tests.
The same level of qualifications and experience are necessary to make investment decisions involving hundreds of thousands of dollars of your retirement money.
Logical and non-emotional stock and bond market risk management strategies are available for your company 401(k) retirement plan account mutual fund menu. Most individual company 401(k) retirement plan participants don’t realize the analysis and risk-management strategy tools available to them.
Use the extra time in your new fall schedule to learn how to preserve the last several years of your company 401(k) retirement plan stock and bond market gains.
Ric Lager
Lager & Company, Inc.
