Episode 5 – What your 401(k) provider doesn't want you to know
The 401(k) plan was a beautiful invention, but it seems to have lost its track. In this episode, Tony goes over the history of the 401(k) and where this amazing tool for financial wealth got derailed. You might not believe this, but for almost three decades, the companies providing 401(k) plans were not required by law to disclose how much they were charging their customers! Financial firms easily gave in to the temptation to take advantage of this lack of disclosure. Handling our retirement money is a sacred trust, and this is concerning. Now that the law has changed, the problem has yet to be fixed - the whole 401(k) system is still a black box.
Most participants would not have the time or patience to go through the 30-50 page legal and financial disclosures, allowing for these companies to blindside you with fees and hidden agendas. Some 71% of people enrolled in 401(k)s think there are no fees, when, in fact, the vast majority of plans are characterized by huge broker commissions, expensive actively managed funds, and layer after layer of additional – and often hidden – charges. If you could save just 1% in fees, you could save over 10 years of retirement savings. Tony walks through the tips and tricks to not drowning in the sea of 401(k) confusion.