Key Takeaways
Bond Funds
Federal bonds are regarded as the safest investments in the market, while municipal bonds and corporate debt offer varying degrees of risk. Low-yield bonds expose you to inflation risk, which is the danger that inflation will cause prices to rise at a rate that out-paces the returns on your investments.
Here are five ways to protect your 401(k) nest egg from a stock market crash.
While being more aggressive can make a lot of sense if you have five or 10 years or more until retirement, it can really sink you financially if you need the money in less than five years. To reduce risk, investors can add more bond funds to their portfolio or even hold some CDs.
Moving 401(k) assets into bonds could make sense if you're closer to retirement age or you're generally a more conservative investor overall. But doing so could potentially cost you growth in your portfolio over time.
That being said, although each 401(k) plan is different, contributions accumulated within your plan, which are diversified among stock, bond, and cash investments, can provide an average annual return ranging from 3% to 8%, depending how you allocate your funds to each of those investment options.
Withdrawing your retirement money at 28 is like creating your own personal stock market crash, even if the stock market soars. You'll pay a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty on money you take from your 401(k) plan, plus any Roth IRA earnings you touch.
If you're invested in a money market fund or a fixed account and you're still losing money, fees may be the culprit. 401(k) plans often charge fees to your account balance, which cover things like plan administration and recordkeeping.
For most people, the 401(k) is the better choice, even if the available investment options are less than ideal. For best results, you might stick with index funds that have low management fees.
Stock markets tend to go up. This is due to economic growth and continued profits by corporations. Sometimes, however, the economy turns or an asset bubble pops—in which case, markets crash. Investors who experience a crash can lose money if they sell their positions, instead of waiting it out for a rise.
Savings accounts are a safe place to keep your money because all deposits made by consumers are guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for bank accounts or the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) for credit union accounts.
When the stock market goes down, volatility generally goes up, which could be a profitable bet for those willing to take risks. Though you can't invest in VIX directly, products have been developed to make it possible for you to profit from increased market volatility. One of the first was the VXX exchange-traded note.
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