Every-time I look at those they seem extremely risk adverse for such a long term investment. Sometimes with 50%+ bonds/notes. If you are looking to retire in 5 years sure but I'm guessing most HN are hoping for more than 4% returns on their retirement account 25+ years from now.
Vanguard Target Date 2045 (suitable for someone born in 1980, looking to retire in about 20 years) is, as of September 2024, at 50.3% Total US Market Institutional Shares, 33.2% Total International Investor Shares, 10.9% Total US Bond Investor, and 4.8% Total International Bond Institutional.
Fidelity's 2045 fund is even higher in the market, they are 10% bonds and 95% equity (they appear to be levered by 5%).
ITs been a while. I'm referring to the ones that have been presented for choices in various 401k's over the years. Those ones always seem quite terrible. I basically just ignore them now. There may be others that I've not seen outside the the restrictions of 401k's. Maybe I should take a another look and update my knowledge on them.
401(k)'s almost always have terrible choices for funds, because of the principal-agent problem. The agent of the company makes the choices on what funds are available but it is the principals as employees who pay the fees. In half-a-dozen career stops over 20 years, I've seen good fund choices in the 401(k) maybe twice? Which is why whenever I leave a job I always roll it over into my trusty Vanguard IRA as quickly as I can, and get to have my choices for funds.
(401(k)'s and IRA's are treated differently in a divorce, which fortunately has not been a problem for me, otherwise having a IRA is so much better than a 401(k). If it wasn't for the employer matching funds I would never do a 401(k) and just do a IRA.)
It seems I only looked at 401k options for target-date type which are apparently universally terrible. I never looked at private ones because of this bias.
It seems I only looked at 401k options for target-date type which are apparently universally terrible. I never looked at private ones because of this bias.
Every-time I look at those they seem extremely risk adverse for such a long term investment. Sometimes with 50%+ bonds/notes. If you are looking to retire in 5 years sure but I'm guessing most HN are hoping for more than 4% returns on their retirement account 25+ years from now.