The Fee-For-All Edition
15 October 2013
Do You Know How Much Your 401(k) Charges in Fees?
New Regulation Requires Fee Disclosure
The government now requires 401(k) plans to disclose all fees, but many consumers still don't know the details. Surveys show less than two-thirds of Americans have explored their 401(k) plan fees and more than half think their plans are free. Fees typically range from 1 percent or less in total fees, which experts consider to be acceptable. But some plans charge 1 percent to 2 percent, which is less than ideal. And some actually charge more than 2 percent, which can eat into your retirement earnings.
Small and mid-sized companies typically have the least efficient 401(k) plans, some researchers have found, but it's worth exploring the details to find out where you stand. Plan providers as of July 2012 are required to send a disclosure of plan fees at least once a year. Various organizations, including AARP, provide free online 401(k) plan fee calculators. Or click here to visit Personal Capital's free 401(k) plan fee calculator. Although participants typically are tied to a plan provider by their employers, if you feel like you're paying too much, check your provider's investment selection to see whether there's another comparable option with a similar mix of assets and lower fees.
Then click here to visit our Community Forum in StockCentral and tell us what you learned. Join the discussion!
Fall Special: Register Now for BetterInvesting National Convention 2014
Discounted Rate for Toddlin' Town Event
It's time to plan to attend the 63rd BetterInvesting National Convention taking place this spring in Chicago, and those who register now can get a discount with our Fall Special. The four-day event is slated for May 15-18, 2014, offering workshops, speakers and networking opportunities for individual investors at every level. Attendees will hear keynote speeches from investing luminaries and get hands-on tips from investing pros throughout the event. Click here to register now with our special rate.
Learn to Use Evernote to Improve Your Research
Program Helps You Save Stock Study Information
Are you using all the resources available that can help you with your research and investing? In a recent Lunchtime Learning webinar, ICLUBcentral's Doug Gerlach recently explained how investors can harness the Evernote program as a research tool for your portfolio. Watch Doug demonstrate Evernote and learn how to be more efficient and capture more information for better investing. Click here to watch this free webinar, which is packed with additional insights and inspiration.
Visit StockCentral's Research Hub
You're never alone when you're investing when you have a StockCentral subscription. Besides our forums, we offer rich sources of information and quick links to other powerful tools to learn about investing, companies and more. Visit StockCentral's main research page to find links for company profiles, earnings reports, analyst estimates and more. Click here to get started.
TODAY'S ENTIRELY RELEVANT QUOTATION
"The direct costs associated with the government shutdown could be recouped fairly quickly, within a quarter or two. The collateral damage associated with gridlock, however, is mounting and already hurting our ability to compete."
— Diane Swonk, Chief Economist, Mesirow Financial