The 401(K): How The Insider Has Stolen Your Retirement!

Mutual funds were moderately successful in creating a presence in the stock market until the advent of the investment retirement account and in particular the 401(k). Corporate insiders persuaded the federal government to allow for the 401(k) in lieu of offering employees the traditional pension. When this happened the employees lost the protection of a specialized financial manager who could manage both the return and the risk of the retirement money of the worker.

This forced employees who are supposed to specialize in their work area into the field financial management with no training whatsoever. The 401(k) effectively FORCES individuals into mutual funds that as I just mentioned were notorious at the turn of the last century for defrauding the public of its savings. Ironically, these same executives had at the time, and still have, their company department of corporate attorneys. These secret departments do nothing but invent new ways for corporate insiders to suck more money out of the firm in the form of perquisites, stock options, and golden parachutes. This is the "new" form of executive stewardship over the shareholder value and employee retirement!

Why is this so tough on the employee? The 401(k) plans do not offer individual stocks only mutual funds. What a scam! Corporate executives have effectively forced you to place your retirement dollars with their cronies in the securities industry who manage these investment pools. If you could talk to someone in the 1920's about this they would be shocked. Someone from back when these investment pools were actively fleecing the public would see this as a criminal act perpetrated by the US federal government, inside corporate executives, and mutual fund managers.

Does that mean the 401(k) is a bad deal? That depends. If your employer matches a percentage of your wages it may be a fair deal but you should only contribute only up to the matching limit. After contributing the maximum matching amount to your 401(k) then put the rest in a Roth IRA. If your 401(k) provider offers an indexed mutual fund then put your money into that. An indexed mutual fund uses a stock market index such as the S&P500 to guide which stocks are bought. The biggest and oldest indexed mutual fund is the Vanguard 500 (VFINX).

A computer divvies up the cash in the fund to match the index as closely as a possible. As such, there is not fund manager to sitting on your hard earned retirement savings to rip you off in bogus fees.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Scott Brown, Ph.D., the Wallet Doctor, is a successful investor. Dr. Brown holds a Ph.D. in finance. The Wallet Doctor is sought after for investment advice and coaching. For more information visit Dr. Brown's site at http://www.bonanzabase.com or sign up for his investment tips at http://www.bonanzabase.com

tidy up service Northbrook ..
In The News:

Mac malware campaign uses fake AI chat results to deliver AMOS through terminal commands, security researchers report. Attackers exploit trust in AI-generated cleanup guides.
States require AI disclosure in healthcare as California, Colorado and Utah implement laws mandating transparency when artificial intelligence influences patient care decisions.
ETA sharing on Apple Maps and Google Maps keeps contacts updated automatically while you drive safely. Learn step-by-step instructions for iPhone and Android.
Data removal from brokers protects against AI-powered scams and deepfake threats in 2026. Learn how data brokers sell your personal information to scammers.
Learn how to act against cybercriminals in 2026 with essential security steps like two-factor authentication, software updates and credit freezing.
Choose between OpenAI releasing Sora text-to-video model, the AI race heating up, or Waymo driverless cars launching in cities across the country
Learn how to set up Google Maps and Apple Maps on your phone to automatically remember where you parked. Step-by-step instructions for enabling location services and parking detection.
Phishing scammers use rnicrosoft.com domain to impersonate Microsoft by replacing "m" with "rn" in typosquatting attacks that steal login credentials.
OpenAI announces new teen safety rules for ChatGPT users under 18, blocking romantic roleplay and requiring extra caution on body image topics.
A 2025 data breach at fintech company 700Credit exposes personal information of more than 5.8 million people through compromised third-party integration partner.
Retailers lose $76.5 billion annually to return fraud as nearly 10% of U.S. retail returns involve fraudulent activity, with $850 billion in returns expected in 2025.
ShinyHunters claims responsibility for stealing 94GB of Pornhub user data affecting over 200 million records and demands Bitcoin ransom.
ChatGPT 2025 now connects to Apple Music, Canva, Expedia, TripAdvisor and OpenTable through built-in apps that help users create playlists, design graphics and more.
Apple releases emergency patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited in attacks. iPhone and iPad users urged to update immediately.
DoorDash launches Zesty, an AI-powered social app that recommends restaurants through conversational search, now testing in San Francisco and New York.
Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.
The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.
New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.
Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.
New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.
Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.
Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.
New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.
The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

You Don?t HAVE To Be Trading

As a novice trader, you'll often feel the need to... Read More

What is Involved in Peak Performance Trading?

There is so much involved in developing peak performance, that... Read More

The POWER of a Proven Stock Investment Plan

When you invest in the stock market for ever-increasing cash... Read More

Mutual Funds are Dead

You may have wondered why your mutual funds have been... Read More

Hot Stock Investing ... How to Pick Hot Stocks with Momentum Stock Trading

Profitable day traders recognize that momentum trading is among the... Read More

The Skinny on Mutual Fund Investing

Mutual fund investing is a lot like Thai cooking. Everyone... Read More

Trading For A Living - Part 1

There can't be many traders who haven't at least considered... Read More

What is a Mutual Fund?

Ever wondered what is a mutual fund? A mutual fund... Read More

What To Buy Now

I am sure that if you have a brokerage account... Read More

Dividends

When is a dividend not a dividend?The latest thing "conservative"... Read More

Inertia

One of the basic laws of physics is that a... Read More

Hold Em and Fold Em

When most analysts, financial planners, fund specialists and investors try... Read More

The Stock Market - How Just One Question Will Tell You All You Need To Know About Your Stock Broker

Last time we looked at the real performance of the... Read More

The Shadow

The Shadow knows. There used to be a radio program... Read More

What Can Model Airplanes Teach You About Trading?

I was devastated!I just couldn't believe it. I was 10... Read More

Dont Buy Stocks based on P/E Ratio alone

I use the P/E ratio as a secondary indicator for... Read More

Oil Stocks As A Long Term Investment

The demand for world oil is increasing while world reserves... Read More

What the Hell is a Stock option?

A 'stock option' is a contract between two parties giving... Read More

Forecasting the Stock Market

Every day I see in the financial section of newspapers... Read More

3 Components Needed for Beating the Market

Time to look back2004 is over, now we are in... Read More

Struggling Stocks, Booming Commodities

04/28/2005NASDAQ dropped -12.5% year to date in 2005. S&P500 index... Read More

Discipline

One of the great "secrets" of successful people is discipline... Read More

An Old Proverb for Investing

"If you don't know where you are going, any road... Read More

Investment Discipline

One of the great "secrets" of successful people is discipline... Read More

Dividend Paying Stocks

I would like to share with the reader an article... Read More

reliable home cleaners Buffalo Grove ..