Protect Your 401K

Checked your 401K lately? Going back to about a year ago many of these retirement accounts have shrunk by 30%, some even more. What Happened?

You have been putting money in for years and your employer may have been contributing to your plan also. It is not supposed to get smaller. You are planning to spend that money some time in the future when you decide to quit working. Along with your Social Security payments you should be able to maintain your current lifestyle. But not if your 401K and IRA keep going down and down.

The is no shortage of bad news when mutual funds such as Fidelity Magellan is off more than 30% and Janus 20 is down 63% and I could go on and on. Now you have a sharp pain in your stomach when you read your statement and when you call your broker he gives you the old song and dance about being in there "for the long haul, don't sell". It is not his money.

If you have your 401K with your employer who has a "professional manager" please don't blame the boss. He is at the mercy of that "professional" too who is slowly having you all go broke. These money manglers are taught the three great myths of Wall Street - Do Research, Buy and Hold, Dollar Cost Average. These doctrines have been promoted for so many years that they have become conventional wisdom. You don't need anyone to tell you they do not work. All you have to do is examine the results.

Buy and Hold is the greatest killer of profits. I know. Almost every broker will never tell you to sell when your stock or mutual funds starts declining yet every professional trader will have that as his first rule: have an exit strategy when your investment starts to either lose money or take away profits you have made. If you had been an owner of Janus 20 when it went from 40 to 94 and had a planned exit strategy you would have sold out near 80 to protect your profit. Now it is trading about 35 and after 2 years you have a loss instead of doubling (and keeping) your money.

How can you protect yourself against this type of loss? Don't rely on your broker or financial planner. They have too many clients to be able to watch your money. I said your money. You are the only one who cares. And if you don't want to take an interest in protecting it then you will be eating dog food instead of steak at age 65.

As the mutual funds go up in your 401K or IRA you must take a few minutes once each week or at least once each month to check the price. As you saw the $40 fund advance you set a mental stop-loss value of from 7% to 15% and when it goes down to that price you must immediately transfer those funds either to a different fund that is still advancing or to a Money Market account. It is that simple and there is nothing complicated about it.

If you don't protect your retirement account no one else will. Start today.

Al Thomas' book, "If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he's the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.

cleaning team near Winnetka ..

In The News:

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.

South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.

Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Protect Your 401K

Stocks & Mutual Fund