Secrets of the 401k millionaires

Secrets of the 401k millionaires

Secrets of the 401k millionaires, Members of this rare class of savers -- just 0.2% of 401k owners -- don't necessarily have higher salaries or the investing IQs of Warren Buffett, advisers say. Those hoping to occupy Easy Street in retirement may want to follow the lead of the 0.2% -- that topmost tiny fraction of savers who have managed to sock away more than $1 million in their 401ks.

That figure, based on data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, may depress those with sums closer to the median 401k balance of roughly $60,000 -- and for good reason. Even among employees 55 and up who have been contributing to the same 401k plan for more than 20 years, just 2% are estimated to have cracked the $1 million mark, says Jack VanDerhei, EBRI's research director.

To some, the remaining 98% of savers 55 and older who haven't cracked $1 million show that the 401k, the principal vehicle for U.S. retirement savings, is at best inadequate and at worst a colossal failure. Even Ted Benna, the man credited with developing the first 401k plans out of an IRS tax loophole in 1981, now concedes that they've grown overly complex, with too many options, too-high fees and too many ways to cash out one's nest egg.

401k providers aren't happy, either

Even some 401k providers don't disagree. With traditional pensions, employers hired teams of experts to make the tough investing decisions now entrusted to individual employees, says Catherine Golladay, vice president of participant services for Charles Schwab. "Left to their own devices, most people do not have the knowledge or the discipline to do this themselves," she says.

Schwab, like other 401k providers, has found that efforts to educate employees haven't proved to be very successful -- and that only 10% of workers take advantage of such offers of help. In response, the company has announced a new index-fund-only 401k, which will keep expenses down and include mandatory advice on investments. "Many employees don't understand what they are losing to expenses -- sometimes 55 to 110 basis points," says Jim McCool, an executive vice president at Schwab. "They don't realize what a drag it is on their retirement savings."

Target-date funds, which allocate investments based on the saver's age, have also proven inadequate, McCool says. "It's a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach. We're hoping that by adding independent, one-on-one advice, we can help tailor plans to the needs of individuals and stop them from panicking and making bad decisions when the market gets scary."

How some make it work

So if that's what's wrong with the 401k, who are these super-rich among retirement savers who have managed to make the system work? And what are they doing differently? They don't necessarily have higher than average salaries or the investing IQ of Warren Buffett, VanDerhei says. "The one characteristic that differentiates the winners from the nonwinners here is contribution rate -- a high percentage of those million-dollar savers had constant participation and high contribution rates," he says.

Though many savers may be scarred by the past decade of lousy returns, getting to $1 million over the course of a 40-year career should be a manageable goal -- even for some lower-income employees, says Greg Burrows, a vice president of Principal Financial. Someone who earns $35,000, saves 12% to 13% (including a company match) and who gets an annual raise of 3.5% and annual returns of 7% would save a million dollars.

Despite the current volatility, many may still do that, he says. "One thing you have to keep in mind is that the 401k hasn't been around long enough for us to see people take full advantage of it over the course of an entire career."

Of course, those who earn big salaries are more likely to have big balances in their 401k's, says Mike Alfred, the CEO of Brightscope, which monitors and rates retirement plans. Further, the Great Recession not only wiped out many 401k balances, but its fallout also has hampered saving -- particularly among the middle class, he says. "There are a lot of families who have to simply stop saving because of a job loss or major health-care issue," he says.

On top of that, most participants can't -- or don't -- take full advantage of their 401k's, says Alfred. Advisers recommend savers max out their 401k contributions. But while the IRS raised the cap $500 to $17,000 for 2012, just 9% contribute the maximum, according to EBRI.

And to put $1 million in perspective: As nest eggs go, it's not exactly Fabergé. The rule of thumb, advisers say, is to accumulate enough to be able to replace 75% to 80% of one's income in retirement, without -- ideally -- having to draw down more than 5% of the balance per year. So a $1 million nest egg would give off just $50,000 annually, enough to replace 75% of the income of someone who made $66,666. Even if the retiree collects the current maximum Social Security payment of $30,156 annually for a total income of $80,156, that's still just the recommended replacement for an annual income of $106,874.

via: msn