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The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Long Term Investing & Retirement: The second best time is now
 
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MockTurtle
Mar 9, 2006
Once I was a real Turtle.
I just set up a 401K today and I am completely lost. I am a total idiot about anything investment related so I have no idea what the breakdown for this type of thing should be. Right now there is a list of about 25 different options to split my money into and I am really overwhelmed with it. There is a subsection that describes each investment but even the dumbed down breakdowns are over my head. I'm really looking for a total idiot's guide to how I should split this all up. I'm not looking to become a zillionaire but I also don't want to just dump it into something completely wrong for me. Basically I have no idea where to even start. HELP!

* # ¿ May 25, 2010 22:12
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# ¿ May 20, 2024 16:24
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MockTurtle
Mar 9, 2006
Once I was a real Turtle.

imabmf posted:

I am guess the options you have all have long names with stuff like World 250 small cap, US 300 Large Cap, bonds, International, Emerging Markets etc.
Here is the list:
0310 - Stable Value Option

0041 - PIMCO Total Return Fund (PTRAX)
(PIMCO Total Return Fund (Administrative Class))

1430 - MainStay Income Builder Fund I (MTOIX)
(MainStay Income Builder Fund (Class I))

0211 - Retirement Income Fund Adv (PARIX)
(T. Rowe Price Retirement Income Fund (Advisor Class))

0269 - Retirement 2005 Adv (PARGX)
(T. Rowe Price Retirement 2005 Fund (Advisor Class))

0211 - Retirement 2010 Adv (PARAX)
(T. Rowe Price Retirement 2010 Fund (Advisor Class))

0269 - Retirement 2015 Adv (PARHX)
(T. Rowe Price Retirement 2015 Fund (Advisor Class))

0211 - Retirement 2020 Adv (PARBX)
(T. Rowe Price Retirement 2020 Fund (Advisor Class))

0269 - Retirement 2025 Adv (PARJX)
(T. Rowe Price Retirement 2025 Fund (Advisor Class))

0211 - Retirement 2030 Adv (PARCX)
(T. Rowe Price Retirement 2030 Fund (Advisor Class))

0269 - Retirement 2035 Fund (PARKX)
(T. Rowe Price Retirement 2035 Fund (Advisor Class))

0212 - Retirement 2040 Adv (PARDX)
(T. Rowe Price Retirement 2040 Fund (Advisor Class))

0269 - Retirement 2045 Adv (PARLX)
(T. Rowe Price Retirement 2045 Fund (Advisor Class))

0269 - Retirement 2050 Adv (PARFX)
(T. Rowe Price Retirement 2050 Fund (Advisor Class))

0292 - Retirement 2055 Adv (PAROX)
(T. Rowe Price Retirement 2055 Fund (Advisor Class))

0005 - Fidelity Spartan 500 Index (FUSEX)
(Fidelity Spartan 500 Index Fund (Investor Class))

0110 - Equity and Income Fund (OAKBX)
(Oakmark Equity and Income Fund (Class I))

0121 - Growth and Income Fund (ACGIX)
(Van Kampen Growth and Income Fund (Class A))

1686 - Mid Cap Fund (CHTTX)
(Aston Optimum Mid Cap Fund (Class N))

0358 - Fid Advisor Equity Growth A (EPGAX)
(Fidelity Advisor Equity Growth Fund (Class A))

1515 - Small Cap Value Fund (LRSCX)
(Lord Abbett Small-Cap Value Fund (Class A Shares))

0870 - Large Cap Growth Fund (MLAIX)
(MainStay Large Cap Growth Fund (Class I))

0590 - MAP Fund Class I (MUBFX)
(MainStay MAP Fund (Class I))

1289 - EuroPacific Growth Fund (REREX)
(American Funds - EuroPacific Growth Fund (Class R4))

0332 - Staples Investment Stock Fund (guess where I work?)

I'm guessing I should immediately axe any of the retirement year ones that are below my retirement age. Should I just pick my retirement year and put it all into that had have them figure it out for me, or should I be putting it into a lot of different ones? I am almost 24 if it helps. Basically I am just enrolling so I can take advantage of the match that the company does. I just don't want to put it into something retarded which is going to defeat the purpose of the whole thing.

quote:

Just pick things that you think will do well in 20, 30, 40 years. DO you think the US will do better than the rest of the world in that time? Then pick stuff that is US Equities (stocks) heavy. Small companies tend to allow for more growth, and large companies tend to have better dividends.

This is the problem I am having, because I literally know zero about how things like this work so I have no baseline to go from. I look at the numbers on their little breakdown and all I see is numbers instead of "good numbers" or "bad numbers". I have no clue how to pick what I think will do well. I'm like the people who go to horse races and bet solely based on the horse's name.

* # ¿ May 25, 2010 23:06
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MockTurtle
Mar 9, 2006
Once I was a real Turtle.
Thanks for dealing with all my dumb questions, guys. I know there is no surefire answer for this type of thing. I am just going to throw it in the retirement year one and forget about it for now. At least I know I'm not making the completely wrong decision, which is way better off than I was.

* # ¿ May 27, 2010 00:58
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The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Long Term Investing & Retirement: The second best time is now