Fantastic 401k Advice from Jim Cramer …Wait! What?

Mad Money finally makes sense.
Mad Money finally makes sense.

While we’re often at odds with the motor mouth “Mad Money” host, even a stopped clock is right twice.

Cramer recently noted that for 401k investors who are “serious about getting rich,” it means preparing for retirement—regardless of age.

“Notice I didn’t say save for retirement,” he explained. “I said prepare, because just stuffing your money in the first national bank of Sealy, a.k.a. stuffing it into your mattress, or automatically saving it into an IRA or 401(k), great though those two tax-deferred vehicles may be, might not be enough to prepare for your retirement.”

His advice fits with suggestions from certain experts to position the 401k as a retirement income distribution vehicles, rather than a tool to help employees “save for retirement.” It could be a relatively simple, yet massive, key to industry, advisor and retiree success.

Reflecting the insight gained, yet largely ignored, by investors after the now-legendary Enron debacle, Cramer wisely suggested that 401k participants not use much of their 401k funds to buy stock in the companies that employ them.

“One of the key components to investing is diversification,” CNBC said of the advice. “Otherwise, too much of a portfolio could be exposed to the same sector, which could introduce an enormous amount of risk. That is why Cramer said investing retirement money into the same company that pays a salary is not a good idea. That is like putting savings into the same basket as a paycheck.

“You probably feel like you understand the company that you work for, and the excuse is that you’re investing in what you know. I’m telling you, that excuse doesn’t cut it,” Cramer added.

Cramer has, of course, failed to keep pace with the S&P 500 in his picks, and he once referred to Lenny Dykstra as one of the great money managers.

Dykstra is the ex-professional baseball player nicknamed “Nails” who went to prison for bankruptcy fraud, having also been accused of grand theft auto and money laundering before accepting a plea agreement.

John Sullivan
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With more than 20 years serving financial markets, John Sullivan is the former editor-in-chief of Investment Advisor magazine and retirement editor of ThinkAdvisor.com. Sullivan is also the former editor of Boomer Market Advisor and Bank Advisor magazines, and has a background in the insurance and investment industries in addition to his journalism roots.

1 comment
  1. I always max out my 401k. I have no company match. I was thinking about maxing out early in 2017. I am single. I make 120k and have no problem with setting my 401k weekly contributions to 100% weekly.
    I believe my tax bracket changes from 28%and goes UP to 33%.
    Should i frontload my 401k or wait till later in the year ?
    Thank you.

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