ha. dude u should have ur 401k set to high risk. ur prob running with low risk / low return stocks thats why.

401k is for the long term. stock stock stock stock.... or just pick some index funds.

it will go down in bursts, but it goes up in bursts too. even if u just bought index funds over decades the returns are phenomenal. time is ur greatest asset, let it work for u.

Make sure your 401k uses DCA (dollar cost averaging) to invest your monthly contribution. Some do, some don't. Some are stuck the way they are issued, others can be changed only on specific dates, some can be changed pretty much whenever.
I used to set up 401k's for a living, and while I'm no expert, this is the best way for you to maximize your return over the long haul, no matter how low the lows or how high the highs get in the market. You're in your thirties, right? If so, then you'll probably change jobs some time before you need your distributions, so when you transfer your 401k in the future, choose one with the DCA option.

dude, im no dummy, i don't have it said to low risk. I have it set to high risk...i'm 100% in stocks, some international, some growth markets, some technol markets etc....like I said, over the years I have had yearly returns of 7, 8, 9%, and am at 7% over the last 5 years...but since inception (October 2000), I'm only at plus 1.15%

..and yes, in my 30's so still have plenty of time...I mix up the percentages a bit over the last 8 years and changed in and out of a few funds...i just hate to see my since inception rate so low.

here's my grid printout from today:

Personal Rate of Return as of 08/31/2008
Last 3 Months -8.69%
1 Year -6.45%
3 Year Annualized 6.23%
5 Year Annualized 7.37%
10 Year Annualized N/A*
Since Inception 1.15%
Calculation Start Date = 12/15/2000

Stocks - 100.00%
69.24% U.S. Stocks

15.46% AF Wash Mutual-A

39.43% Lord Abbett SC Val-I

14.35% WF Adv Capital Grwth

30.76% International Stocks
30.76% Fr New Star Intl Eq

I believe Washington Mutual is going under. That's not gonna be good.

Yeah, I'm not sure why that name jumped out at me. Prob. from a financial article I read. I'll do a quick scan of my magazines to see if I can find it.

man, imagine if GE (General Electric) went under.........it would pretty much be all over.

steele dont be so doom and gloom dude.

remember, if the market tanks thats GOOD for buying into a long term investment like a 401K. tank tank tank.

when it comes back dude... its going to fucking rage.

I should've ignored this topic, as I just went and checked my 401K. I need another beer.

Besides. This market ain't going up for another 16 months.

Too late.....

Not really, but a lot of mofo's picked up some serious bargains today. Hope your fund manager was one of them.

I'd buy more, but I'm buying a house next friday and all my money is tied up in stocks that crashed me nearly half of my investments. I can't pull out of these right now to buy other crashed stocks.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122238415586576687.html

Well, there she goes. Not sure exactly how this will affect your 401K until the plan is detailed more fully, but it ain't gonna be good.

i thought you were buying that distressed property in Milford (or somewhere near there), you told me about a few months ago...what happened with that one?

Social security is based on exactly the same kind of thinking that brought us Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The only way to reform the S.S. system is to privatize (the only way money ever grows) at least a portion of it. By the time we're old enough to collect, the program might still be called "Social Security", but the entire system will have either changed or collapsed.
Sadly, politicians on both sides of the aisle are just as afraid to mention the certain failure of SS as they were to mention the certain failure of the GSE's. On the bright side, basic economics will force their hand sooner rather than later.

Hey Steele,

Deal fell through. I didn't have 30k upfront for the repairs that were needed immediately. This house is on Kendig St. Closing pushed back to Oct 6th (bank's attourneys are still digging up papers).

Well there's a family across the street with 3 kids, the young family next door with 3 kids, the two families up closer to the end of the street with young teens and some younger kids, and the lack of triple-decker/two-families, I'd say I'm pretty ok.

There is an apt across the street and closer to the end which had a steady stream of jock-types pouring in and out the other weekend. They had a ripping party it looks like, but they had it all cleaned up by 11am. Pretty good....seeing as there are little kids who live right next door.

Dude. It'd be like a real life version of Old School. Except I'd be arrested and put on the sex offender list for streaking.

You are all going to be eating cat food in your golden years.