401k Rollover Guide

For most U.S. investors, their 401(k) is the second most valuable asset they own (second only to their home), so it’s important to make prudent decisions with it.

Should You Rollover Your 401(k)?

Arguably the most important 401(k)-related decisions arise after leaving your job: Should you rollover your 401(k), or should you leave it where it is? And if you decide to roll it over, should it go into an IRA or into your new employer’s 401(k)?

The following articles are intended to help you through the decision-making process:

• Should I Roll My 401(k) into an IRA?
• Reasons Not to Rollover a 401(k) into an IRA
• Should You Roll Your 401(k) into Your New Employer’s 401(k)?

How to Rollover Your 401(k)

The 401(k) rollover process is not difficult by any means, and the paperwork isn’t that bad. There are, however, a couple potential pitfalls to avoid.

The following articles walk you through the process step by step:

• How to Rollover a 401(k) into an IRA
• How to Roll a 401(k) into a Roth IRA

Where to Rollover Your 401(k)

If you decide to roll your 401(k) into an IRA, it’s important to take some time to shop around for the right brokerage firm. If you don’t, you could easily end up paying unnecessary fees for mediocre investment options.

The following articles take a look at some of your options regarding where to rollover your 401(k):

• Where to Rollover My 401(k)
• Discount Brokerage IRA Comparison

After the Rollover–Investing the Cash

Once your rollover is complete, you’ll have to decide how you want to invest the cash. (In an IRA, you’ll have access to a far broader array of investments than you probably did with your old 401(k) plan.)

Hopefully the following articles will help with that decision:

• The Advantages of Passive Investing via Index Funds and ETFs
• 8 Lazy ETF Portfolios
• The Asset Allocation Pyramid
• Asset Allocation for Retirement Portfolios

As you can see, I’m a big fan of simple, low-cost portfolios implemented via index funds and/or ETFs.

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