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Started By
Message
How screwed am I?
Posted on 1/6/26 at 10:16 pm
Posted on 1/6/26 at 10:16 pm
First time managing my own 401k distributions:
Balanced Allocation Account II - Vanguard Balanced Index Fund - Instl Shrs: 20%
Institutional Large Index Account - Vanguard Institutional Index Fund - Instl PI Shrs: 40%
Small Cap Value Index Account II - Vanguard Small Cap Value Index Fund - Instl Shrs: 10%
International Large Index Account - Vanguard Total Int'l Stock Index Fund - Adm Shrs: 30%
Is that a healthy mix or do I have too much weighted towards the S&P500, which may be overvalued? Seems risky with Nvidia propping it up…what if there’s a rare earths shortage or China encircles Taiwan and cuts it off from the rest of the world and its chips.
Balanced Allocation Account II - Vanguard Balanced Index Fund - Instl Shrs: 20%
Institutional Large Index Account - Vanguard Institutional Index Fund - Instl PI Shrs: 40%
Small Cap Value Index Account II - Vanguard Small Cap Value Index Fund - Instl Shrs: 10%
International Large Index Account - Vanguard Total Int'l Stock Index Fund - Adm Shrs: 30%
Is that a healthy mix or do I have too much weighted towards the S&P500, which may be overvalued? Seems risky with Nvidia propping it up…what if there’s a rare earths shortage or China encircles Taiwan and cuts it off from the rest of the world and its chips.
This post was edited on 1/6/26 at 10:22 pm
11
Posted on 1/6/26 at 10:19 pm to VooDude
Give us a list of what your 401K options are and we can make the most intelligent decision.
Posted on 1/6/26 at 10:59 pm to VooDude
How long until you plan to retire?
Posted on 1/7/26 at 5:53 am to VooDude
I am limited in options with vanguard and has several T Row Price option.
I have over 50% in Institutional Large Index Account - Vanguard Institutional Index Fund - Instl PI; and I love it.
I have over 50% in Institutional Large Index Account - Vanguard Institutional Index Fund - Instl PI; and I love it.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 7:29 am to VooDude
I typically start by looking at the fee schedule.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 7:35 am to notiger1997
quote:30ish years (I’m low 30s now) and my 401k balance is around 75k. Only worrying about distributions now because I switched jobs and my old plan was idiot proof and very hands off.
How long until you plan to retire?
My new one has a manage with Morningstar Investment Manager option, anyone have experience with that?
Posted on 1/7/26 at 7:39 am to VooDude
I have found over time that the "balancing" of 401k funds is not really going to help you at all. Especially in your 30s I'd put it all in a Large Cap domestic equity fund and call it a day.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 7:57 am to LSUtoOmaha
this.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 9:35 am to LSUtoOmaha
I am invested 100% in Large Cap domestic equity funds and have a three year rate of return of 23% and a five year of 15%. I also have a pension, so that helps me be more comfortable being aggressive. A lot depends on your risk tolerance.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 9:44 am to LSUtoOmaha
quote:
Large Cap domestic equity fund?
Such as?
Symbol Fund Name
VTI Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF
VOO Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
SPLG SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF
VUG Vanguard Growth ETF
SCHG Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF
VXUS Vanguard Total International Stock ETF
Or?
Posted on 1/7/26 at 9:49 am to VooDude
Not sure why you're asking if you're screwed. "Screwed" would be that you don't have a lot of time to invest/save and want to retire. Those funds are pretty basic which is fine even though I wouldn't invest that way.
Your questions make me think you're very risk averse. Invest in a low-cost market index fund and a bond fund. If you want to be "risky", put it all into the index fund. If you want to be "safe", put it all into the bond fund. Otherwise, pick the mix that meets your risk tolerance.
How old are you?
EDIT: 30s? Put it all in a low-cost index fund and reinvest the dividends. Most importantly, get educated and make your own decisions.
Your questions make me think you're very risk averse. Invest in a low-cost market index fund and a bond fund. If you want to be "risky", put it all into the index fund. If you want to be "safe", put it all into the bond fund. Otherwise, pick the mix that meets your risk tolerance.
How old are you?
EDIT: 30s? Put it all in a low-cost index fund and reinvest the dividends. Most importantly, get educated and make your own decisions.
This post was edited on 1/7/26 at 9:51 am
Posted on 1/7/26 at 10:02 am to LSUtoOmaha
According to my vanguard account, the only domestic funds available to me are:
Vanguard FTSE Social Index Fund Admiral Shares
Vanguard Growth Index Fund Admiral Shares
Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Shares
Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund Institutional Shares
I don't see one called Large Cap Domestic Equity fund available to me. What do yall suggest?
Vanguard FTSE Social Index Fund Admiral Shares
Vanguard Growth Index Fund Admiral Shares
Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Shares
Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund Institutional Shares
I don't see one called Large Cap Domestic Equity fund available to me. What do yall suggest?
Posted on 1/7/26 at 5:55 pm to VooDude
Run that shot through grok and ask it questions. Very good i fo
Posted on 1/7/26 at 6:07 pm to PlootyPlucker90
I have all my investments in an S&P 500 index fund, which has you invested in the most successful companies in the largest economy in the world. Most are global companies, so you get exposure to international growth as well by investing in them.
Every 401k plan that I have seen has a S&P 500 index fund available...just have a quick review of the fund summary. It may be listed as a US Large Cap fund.
Every 401k plan that I have seen has a S&P 500 index fund available...just have a quick review of the fund summary. It may be listed as a US Large Cap fund.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 9:09 pm to VooDude
Roll all of it over to Schwab or Fidelity where you can actually have decent options and seriously study your investment selections.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 9:59 pm to VooDude
quote:
Is that a healthy mix or do I have too much weighted towards the S&P500, which may be overvalued?
Nice job on VG low cost index funds! From experience. John Bogle smiles.
My 2 cents - any consideration to make simpler - eg, Bogle’s 3 fund strategy?
We found great value in keeping simple. A blessing was using the time that otherwise would have been spent chasing returns…on life—a return on time!
Overvalued? If you don’t need / use the money in the next 5-7 years or longer, let er rip. Don’t fret timing anything. Further, you are “too much weighted” to 500 stocks! Let’s go with “well diversified”.
Human greed over time is sure as sun rising in east — Upward slope comeths. Has never let me down (pun intended).
Good luck!
This post was edited on 1/7/26 at 10:16 pm
Posted on 1/7/26 at 11:07 pm to wiltznucs
quote:Sorry for the delay, these are all my fund options:
Give us a list of what your 401K options are and we can make the most intelligent decision.
Investments
Investment name
Allocation
Guaranteed Fund
0%
Total Bond Index Account II - Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund - Instl Shrs
0%
Diversified Income Account - T. Rowe Price Spectrum Income Fund - I Shrs
0%
Emerging Markets Bond Account - PIMCO Emerging Markets Bond Fund - Instl Shrs
0%
Balanced Growth Account II - Vanguard Wellington Fund - Adm Shrs
0%
Balanced Aggressive Growth Account - Janus Henderson Global Allocation Growth Fund - Instl Shrs
0%
Equity Growth & Income Account - T. Rowe Price Equity Income Fund - I Shrs
0%
Balanced Allocation Account II - Vanguard Balanced Index Fund - Instl Shrs
20%
Institutional Large Index Account - Vanguard Institutional Index Fund - Instl PI Shrs
40%
Total Stock Index Account II - Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund - Instl Shrs
0%
Large Cap Growth Account III - Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund - Adm Shrs
0%
Large Cap Growth Account V - JPMorgan Large Cap Growth Fund - R6 Shrs
0%
Mid-Cap Value Account - Vanguard Selected Value Fund
0%
Mid-Cap Index Account IV - Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund - Instl Shrs
0%
Mid-Cap Growth Account I - T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Growth Fund - I Shrs
0%
Small Cap Value Index Account II - Vanguard Small Cap Value Index Fund - Instl Shrs
10%
Small Cap Index Account III - Vanguard Small Cap Index Fund - Instl Shrs
0%
Small Cap Blend Account I - T. Rowe Price Small Cap Value Fund - I Shrs
0%
Small Cap Growth Account III - Vanguard Explorer Fund - Adm Shrs
0%
International Large Index Account - Vanguard Total Int'l Stock Index Fund - Adm Shrs
30%
International Growth Account - T. Rowe Price International Stock Fund - I Shrs
0%
Target Retirement Income Account III - Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund
0%
2025 Target Retirement Account III - Vanguard Target Retirement 2025 Fund
0%
2035 Target Retirement Account III - Vanguard Target Retirement 2035 Fund
0%
2045 Target Retirement Account III - Vanguard Target Retirement 2045 Fund
0%
2055 Target Retirement Account III - Vanguard Target Retirement 2055 Fund
0%
2065 Target Retirement Account III - Vanguard Target Retirement 2065 Fund
0%
All very limited, anything catch anyone’s eye here? My current distribution is based on LLM advice, specifically from Grok with Gemini backing it up.
I work in data science/analytics and have seemed to float around at tech startups over the years, so it’s not like I’m a lifer at a long term stable company where I can put my money in and sit on it for 30 years. May have to do another 401k rollover in another 3-5 years.
My point: I just rolled over my entire 401k to my new company, and feel like I’m way too heavily invested in stocks at the worst time: geopolitical crises and an AI bubble. And if I move jobs in another 3-5 years, I have to rollover my 401k again. I get the point of dollar cost averaging, but not if you change jobs every 3-5 years and have to relock in your positions.
Everything else is in an Amex high yield savings account.
This post was edited on 1/7/26 at 11:29 pm
Posted on 1/8/26 at 8:19 am to VooDude
If being honest; here’s what I’d do given your propensity to move around a lot.
I’d open a brokerage account with someone like Fidelity and roll your previous employer’s 401K/IRA contributions there.
You’ll continue to contribute to your current employer’s 401K to take advantage of their match and tax savings. Meaning your money will be in two places.
With Fidelity you’ll have a much broader number of options to choose from and typically some with much lower fees. Plus this will give you a platform moving forward should you switch employers again. If you leave them; roll that money to Fidelity as well. Then start contributing to your new employer plan.
For the Fidelity account; if you are young and want good diversification and are willing to take what the market gives you then low cost ETF choices like VOO, VTI or VT are great options for long term wealth building.
I don’t see anything wrong with your choices at your current employer. You’ve spread the money across a broad range with large, small and international exposure. I do worry that you are likely paying more in fees than you have to on your previous savings.
Most employer 401K plans are set up in such a way as to enroll you in choices to maximize the amount of your money they can collect over time by taking a percentage each and every time you contribute or in annual fees. The effect of fees over time can be pretty profound. It’s an often overlooked part of investing that the brokers don’t like to talk about.
I’d open a brokerage account with someone like Fidelity and roll your previous employer’s 401K/IRA contributions there.
You’ll continue to contribute to your current employer’s 401K to take advantage of their match and tax savings. Meaning your money will be in two places.
With Fidelity you’ll have a much broader number of options to choose from and typically some with much lower fees. Plus this will give you a platform moving forward should you switch employers again. If you leave them; roll that money to Fidelity as well. Then start contributing to your new employer plan.
For the Fidelity account; if you are young and want good diversification and are willing to take what the market gives you then low cost ETF choices like VOO, VTI or VT are great options for long term wealth building.
I don’t see anything wrong with your choices at your current employer. You’ve spread the money across a broad range with large, small and international exposure. I do worry that you are likely paying more in fees than you have to on your previous savings.
Most employer 401K plans are set up in such a way as to enroll you in choices to maximize the amount of your money they can collect over time by taking a percentage each and every time you contribute or in annual fees. The effect of fees over time can be pretty profound. It’s an often overlooked part of investing that the brokers don’t like to talk about.
This post was edited on 1/8/26 at 8:25 am
Posted on 1/8/26 at 8:47 am to VooDude
quote:
I just rolled over my entire 401k to my new company
My advice is to set up a brokerage account with a company you like (look at the typical trading and ETF management fees and platforms, and investment choices)
I chose Schwab many years ago after dealing with Janus (Fund family) and Edward D Jones, and I am happy with Schwab. - Don't use a bank.
Next time you move employers, don't give the new company your old 401 (k) funds, so that you will have to conform to the 401 (k) choices they offer. Instead, transfer them to a rollover IRA using their services to perform the transfer and then manage those funds in the broad options a brokerage house can offer you. -- At the new company, start your 401K account fresh, and if / when you leave, do another rollover into your self-directed IRA account at your brokerage.
Use the same brokerage for your other investments, like non-retirement accounts, and, if possible, for your spouse as well, to keep it more manageable.
With your horizon, look at the S&P ETF and maybe the NASDAQ, and let it ride IMO.
My 401 K is set up to invest a set amount 2 times a month. If the money is available to invest in the account, the purchase is made. If it is not available, it comes back 2 weeks later to invest again. You could set this up to invest in more than one fund each time as well.
I have seen a few colleagues who just set up a deposit into the 401K, and for unknown reasons, years later, it is sitting in a low-interest-bearing account - Not invested and losing money to inflation. Don't make this a chore or responsibility to move your 401K deposits into the market on a periodic basis. You will forget, procrastinate or worry yourself to death about market highs and lows and miss out on time in the market.. Use the brokerage houses to do that for you once you are comfortable with your investment choices.
This post was edited on 1/8/26 at 9:06 am
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:08 am to wiltznucs
I didn't see this reply before I wrote mine which echos all of this.
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