What to Do With a 401(k) When You Change Jobs

From the 1950s through the 1970s, most Americans found a job, then stuck with it for 30 or 40 years. When they retired, they received a pension, and it provided them with a guaranteed income for life. However, in the late 1970s, the 401(k) replaced pensions - and changed that forever.

Now, many of us constantly change jobs, and can amass multiple 401(k) accounts in the process. They can be scattered across different employers and custodians, and they can have different investment strategies and fees attached to them. Making sense of where they are - and what to do with them - can be more than a little confusing.

On our first podcast of 2019, we dig into the many options you have if you have a number of 401(k) accounts and the advantages and disadvantages of each, as well as the worst case scenario option that you should almost never even consider.

‍In this podcast interview, you’ll learn:

• How switching from pension plans to 401(k)s shifted risks in retirement from employers to employees - and why this shift fundamentally changed American employment.
• Why some of our clients amass 5 or more 401(k) accounts over the course of their working lives - and the reason it’s so easy to lose track of them.
• Why you may want to leave money in a 401(k), even if you’re no longer with that employer.
• The factors you should consider before rolling money out of a 401(k).
• How to efficiently consolidate your 401(k) accounts.
• Why cashing out a 401(k) is one of the worst financial decisions you can make - and it should be considered an option only if you absolutely need to do it.

Listen on your favorite platform:

‍Apple | Spotify | YouTube

If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to rate and review, and send us all your questions at questions@bayntree.com - it may become the topic of an upcoming episode! Interview Resources

• Climbing the Retirement Mountain: And Getting Safely Down the Other Side