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Optimize your 401(k)

401(k) MANAGEMENT WITH A CFS®
(includes Roth 401(k)s, 403(b)s & 457 Plans)
The financial markets and your personal circumstances will change over time. A Financial Advisor can regularly review and adjust your 401(k) investments to keep them aligned with your evolving goals and market conditions. This proactive management helps ensure that your retirement plan remains on track. Feeling overwhelmed by your investment options? A Certified Fund Specialist® can help you avoid mistakes and help tailor a 401(k) investment strategy to gain the knowledge and confidence you need to make informed decisions about your retirement savings.

Without a pension, your retirement is much different than your parents.

PRE-RETIREMENT

What are you currently paying your future self?

With no pension, "set it and forget it" should not be your strategy
Many individuals make the mistake of setting their initial 401(k), 403(b) or 457 plan contribution percentages and investment choices, never to revisit them again.
In 2025 individuals can contribute up to $23,500 in their 401(k), with those over age 50 able to contribute an extra $7,500. The SECURE 2.0 Act raises the catch-up contribution limit to $11,250 in 2025 for employees aged 60-63. Employers may choose to match contributions up to a certain percentage, which are added on top of the individual contribution limit.

For the challenges you face with no pension to rely on, it's time to change your mindset about saving for retirement.

The best way to do that...
View every contribution as a payment to your future self.
POST-RETIREMENT

Was it all you could have paid yourself?

4 Biggest Retirement Challenges
Longevity: Can your savings and investments last possibly 30+ years?Volatility: Withdrawals in down markets can zap performance during future recoveries. Taxes: Withdrawals from retirement accounts are fully taxable at ordinary income levels (except for Roths).Inflation: A retiree's core expenses (healthcare, housing & food) historically experience higher inflation rates, greatly affecting those with fixed incomes.

By taking an active role in planning now, you can positively impact your future.

Your 401(k) Is Not a Pension

The 401(k) Defined Contribution Plan has become the most widely utilized retirement vehicle, yet most Americans forget its origins. The modification of IRS Code Section 401(k) established in the Revenue Act of 1978 was intended to help you save more efficiently and to be prepared for a possible shortfall of income once you've left the workforce. The intended purpose of which was to aid retired employees if more money was needed throughout their retirement than their pension provided.
The 401(k) would be an account a retiree could pull from to fill a small income gap, but was never intended to completely replace the guaranteed lifetime payments retirees received via DB pension plans. Unlike a pension or Social Security, your investments and retirement savings are not by default a steady stream of income, nor are they guaranteed to last for the rest of your life. Retirement savings accounts were never intended to fully replace Defined Benefit Pensions.

401(k): Did you know?

TARGET-DATE FUNDS (TDFs)
Hidden Fees
Target-date funds are a popular option, however 95% of target-date-funds often invest in other mutual funds, a.k.a. 'fund-of-funds', which may incur the doubling of fees. (TDF fee plus internal fund fees)
Increasing Bond Exposure
Target-date funds automatically increase exposure to bonds and fixed income over certain time frames, even when it may not be beneficial to do so. This may lead to other risks associated with fixed income, such as "Interest Rate Risk".
Interest Rate Risk
"Interest Rate Risk" is a phenomenon where when interest rates rise, bond prices fall.* Nearly all fixed income investors are affected when it happens, as seen in 2022, which was the worst year ever on record for bond market returns.**

Optimize your Defined Contribution Plan 401(k) with a Certified Fund Specialist®

Without the safety net of a pension, your retirement accounts play a pivotal role in determining how comfortable and confident you will live throughout retirement. With investment funds dominating as the main investment choice inside of these retirement accounts, why not consider a Certified Fund Specialist® (CFS®) to provide you with knowledgeable insights and guidance on how to best invest your hard-earned money?
For any type of Defined Contribution Plan...
  • Traditional 401(k)
  • Roth 401(k)
  • 403(b) Plan
  • 457 Plan

401(k): Did you know?

FUND SELECTION
Who picks the funds you can choose from?
Unless your plan sponsor (your employer) hires a third-party professional advisor, such as an ERISA Section 3(38) "Investment Manager", the investment options inside of your 401(k) for you to choose from are often selected by your plan sponsor/employer, who may not have any investment knowledge or skills to do so. Although not required by law, most plan sponsors offer an "investment policy statement" outlining the criteria they use to add or remove funds from their plan.
Pop Money Quiz
If a third-party manager is hired, they often give direct advice to 401(k) plan participants (you) in regard to which funds to invest in.
A) TRUEB) FALSE
Answer: B) FALSE Even if a third-party manager or consultant is hired, they are not allowed to give direct advice to 401(k) plan participants (you/employees) in regard to which of those investments to choose inside of their 401(k).

"Do not save what is left after spending; instead spend what is left after saving."

- Warren Buffet

GET STARTED WITH A CFS®

401(k) Management with a CFS®

Cancel Anytime.
Don't just survive alone. Thrive with a CFS®!
401(k) Management is included in every Financial Planning Bundle
Optimize your 401(k) today!
Choose Your Bundle
What You Get...
  • All items listed apply to 401(k)s, Roth 401(k)s, 403(b)s & 457 Plans
  • Everything in the Financial Planning Bundle of your choice
  • thrivealike Certified Fund Specialist® as your personal Financial Advisor
  • Actionable and on-going advice from your dedicated thrivealike Financial Advisor & CFS®
  • thrivealike Virtual Onboarding
  • 401(k) Investment Fund Fee Analysis
  • Existing 401(k) Investment Portfolio Analysis
  • Personal Financial Website
  • Encrypted Digital Vault
  • Retirement Income Plan with your CFS®
  • Virtual Review Meetings (your choice of semi-annually or quarterly)
  • Advanced Fund Analysis and Selection
  • Interactive Asset Allocation and Portfolio Construction
  • And More...

Not sure where to start? Schedule your free consultation with a thrivealike Financial Professional

The idea of retirement is an exciting time in one's life, but without a pension it can also be a scary prospect. One way to help ease the anxiety and become more confident about your financial future would be working with someone who is trained to find solutions to the risks and challenges you will face in retirement.
1. Share a little info
Create your financial snapshot by sharing basic information about you and your finances, what stage of Retirement Planning you are in (pre or post), and your current plan to recreate your paycheck in retirement without having a pension .
2. Free consultation
Uncover the potential of your retirement goals in just 15 minutes! Your virtual consultation with a thrivealike Financial Professional will give you an understanding of where you stand and what it will take to get you closer to financial freedom.
3. Decide to thrive
Harness the power of financial expertise with a thrivealike Certified Specialist who will create a customized plan with investment strategies tailored for you and the unique challenges you face when retiring without a pension.

Don't wait...Schedule your free consultation below

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INVESTMENT & RETIREMENT INSIGHTS
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