5 smart 401k moves to make in 2020

5 smart 401k moves to make in 2020. Do you have a 401k? These five 401k moves will help you empower your retirement savings and ensure that you take full advantage of your 401k benefits.

2020 has been a challenging year in many aspects. Let’s make it count and put your 401k to work.

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What is a 401k plan?

401k plan is a workplace retirement plan that allows employees to build and grow their retirement savings. It is one of the most convenient and effective ways to save for retirement as both employees and employers can make retirement contributions. As an employee, you can set up automatic deductions to your 401k account directly through your company payroll.  You can choose the exact percentage of your salary that will go towards your retirement savings. Most 401k will provide you with multiple investment options in stocks and fixed income mutual funds and ETFs. Furthermore, most employers offer a 401k match up to a certain percentage. In most cases, you need to participate in the plan to receive the match.

1. Maximize your contributions

The smart way to ignite your retirement savings is to maximize your contributions each year.

Did you know that in 2020, you can contribute up to $19,500 to your 401k plan? If you are 50 or over, you are eligible for an additional catch-up contribution of $6,500 in 2020. Traditional 401k contributions are tax-deductible and will lower your overall tax bill in the current tax year.

Many employers offer a 401k match, which is free money for you. The only way to receive it is to participate in the plan. If you cannot max out your dollar contributions, try to deduct the highest possible percentage so that you can capture the entire match from your employer. For example, if your company offers a 4% match on every dollar, at the very minimum, you should contribute 4% to get the full match.

2. Review your investment options

When was the last time you reviewed the investment options inside your 401k plan? When is the last time you made any changes to your fund selection? With automatic contributions and investing, it is easy to get things on autopilot. But remember, this is your money and your retirement savings. With all the craziness in the economy and the stock market in 2020, now is the best time to get a grip on your 401k investments.

Look at your fund performance over the last 1, 3, 5, and 10 years. Make sure the fund returns are close or higher than their benchmark. Review the fund fees. Check if there have been new funds added to the line up recently.

3. Change your asset allocation

Asset allocation tells you how your investments are spread between stocks, bonds, money markets, and other asset classes. Stocks typically are riskier but offer great earnings potential. Bonds are considered a safer investment but provide a limited annual return.

Your ideal asset allocation depends on your age, investment horizon, risk tolerance, and specific individual circumstances.

Typically, younger plan participants have a longer investment horizon and can withstand portfolio swings to achieve higher returns in the future.  If you are one of these investors can choose a higher allocation of stocks in your 401k.

However, if you are approaching retirement, you would have a much shorter investment horizon and probably lower tolerance to investment losses. In this case, you should consider adding more bonds and cash to your asset allocation.

4. Consider contributing to Roth 401k

Are you worried that you would pay higher taxes in the future? The Roth 401k allows you to make pretax contributions and avoid taxes on your future earnings. All Roth contributions are made after paying all federal and state income taxes now. The advantage is that all your prospective earnings will grow tax-free. If you keep your money until retirement or reaching the age of 59 ½, you will withdraw your gains tax-free. If you are a young professional or you believe that your tax rate will grow higher in the future, Roth 401k is an excellent alternative to your traditional tax-deferred 401k savings.

5. Rollover an old 401k plan

Do you have an old 401k plan, stuck with your former employer? How often do you have a chance to review your balance? Unfortunately, many old 401k plans have become forgotten and ignored for many years.

It is a smart move to transfer an old 401k to a Rollover IRA.

The rollover is your chance to gain full control of your retirement savings. Furthermore, you will expand your investment options from the limited number of mutual funds to the entire universe of stocks, ETFs, and fund managers. Most importantly, you can manage your account according to your retirement goals.