Americans getting risky with their 401(k)s
How often have we said it? Pretend your retirement account is swarming with killer bees or maybe rabid bats — and don’t touch it! But for all kinds of reasons, fingers are going back into that sacred pot. David Lazarus is here to bemoan this with us.
Apparently some Americans are starting to play fast and loose with their 401(k)s, even day trading on their retirement accounts. Lazarus suspects future retirees are trying to re-coup their losses from the recession.
David and Tess also talked about another rising trend of folks taking out loans from their retirement accounts. For most, it’s out of desperation — they’ve been out of work and the 401(k) is the only pot of money they have access to.
Listen to the audio above to get more details about what is driving these trends and some advice on how to leave that 401(k) alone.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
