LesBaer
I am missing why the amount you are going to build up or the safety of your job would make a difference on the decision to go with the Roth 401k or the Traditional 401K.
These facts may impact whether you elect to contribute or not but they shouldn’t have any impact on the which to contribute too.
What am I missing.[/quote]
Personal quirks. 🙂
I wouldn’t want YAA (Yet Another Account) to keep up with. Late last year and this year I’m doing my best to consolidate my meager non-retirement holdings into no more than three accounts*. Having them scattered about has been a loser for me personally, I’m trying to change that.
I’ve been working really hard the last few years to max out the contribution to the 401k and not hit the “limit” until the last yearly paycheck so I max the company contribution as well. I’m old and creaky now, so I get to pitch in the ‘catch up’ bonus as well so I have to adjust it carefully to pull it off yearly.
Of course two years of no raises, no bonuses makes it a bit easier but at least they were still kicking in the company contribution.
Tax wise I’m losing the house deduction since I foolishly paid it off, and one child is danger close to actually being out of the tax write off as well. I’m figuring I need all the pre-tax deductions I can get, and maybe at this stage of the game the post-tax Roth 401k isn’t making sense.
If get the boot, then I’ll be struggling just to buy beer and bologna, no company wants old broken down gray haired guys. ;-( The 401k contribution may be the least of my worries.
* “Accounts” = 1 online broker, 2 x Mutual Fund companies, not just 3 investment categories. I think part of my issues in the past have been trying to over diversify among brokers/MF managers and asset classes. There is no payback in that.
