Lates News

Americans' retirement savings are becoming increasingly tied to the fate of the stock market. Workers of almost all age groups are investing a record proportion of funds in their 401(k) accounts in stocks. After years of continuous stock market growth, they are either allocating more funds to stocks themselves or having asset managers do so for them. According to an analysis by Vanguard Group of the millions of retirement accounts it manages, workers in their 30s invested 88% of their 401(k) funds in stocks last year, up from 82% a decade ago. For 60-something 401(k) investors, the proportion allocated to stocks is 60%, higher than the 57% from a decade ago. Even the funds invested in stocks in target date funds has increased; these funds gradually shift funds from stocks to bonds as the retirement date approaches. According to Morningstar data, as of the end of 2024, workers who just began their careers had an average stock allocation of 92% in target date funds, up from 85% in 2014.