Can you lose all your money in a 401 K if the market crashes?
The worst thing you can do to your 401(k) is to cash out if the market crashes. Market downturns are generally short and minimal compared to the rebounds that follow. As long as you hold on to your investments during a bear market, you haven't lost anything.
The odds are the value of your retirement savings may decline if the market crashes. While this doesn't mean you should never invest, you should be patient with the market and make long-term decisions that can withstand time and market fluctuation.
Investing in a 401(k) account offers the potential for long-term growth and financial security. However, it's crucial to understand that this retirement savings vehicle is not immune to losses. Your 401(k) is investing in the stock market, so it's possible to lose money over time.
“We believe the key thing to do is to keep your 401(k) funds invested. If you take them out of the market, you may lock in losses and could miss out on opportunities for market rebounds.”
Don't Panic
Investing for retirement is a long-term venture, and while the financial markets can experience significant volatility in the short term, they tend to rise in value over the long term. Even if you're nearing retirement age, rash decisions can make it more difficult for your portfolio to recover.
If the dollar collapses, your 401(k) would lose a significant amount of value, possibly even becoming worthless. Inflation would result if the dollar collapsed, decreasing the real value of the dollar when compared to other global currencies, which in effect would reduce the value of your 401(k).
Money saved in a qualified retirement account, such as a 401(k) plan, is typically protected from private creditors as long as the money remains within the account. The IRS, however, may come after retirement funds to pay back taxes or other federal obligations.
The average American faced big retirement account losses last year. In 2022, the average balance in workplace retirement plans was $144,280 at the start of the year. By the end of the year, it had fallen to $111,210. That's a $33,070 loss and almost a 23% decrease over the course of a single year.
Combined losses in stocks and bonds fed a steep decline in the value of the average boomer's 401(k), from $249,700 at the end of 2021 to a low of $197,400 in the autumn of 2022, a drop of more than 20%, according to Fidelity. By mid-2023, the average boomer account had recovered to $220,900, 12% below the 2021 high.
What is the 401(k) early withdrawal penalty? If you withdraw money from your 401(k) before you're 59 ½, the IRS usually assesses a 10% tax as an early distribution penalty. That could mean giving the government $1,000, or 10% of a $10,000 withdrawal, in addition to paying ordinary income tax on that money.
Where do I put my 401k money in a recession?
Consider investing in defensive stocks
Defensive stocks are those that typically perform well during recessions and other economic downturns. These companies tend to fall within sectors that people must spend money on, regardless of the economy. Examples include consumer staples, health care, and utilities.
Keep earning money
This may seem obvious, but it's best to avoid withdrawing large amounts from your portfolio during a recession. When stock values have declined, selling shares to cover everyday living expenses can meaningfully eat into your portfolio's long-term growth potential.
Treasury Bonds
Investors often gravitate toward Treasurys as a safe haven during recessions, as these are considered risk-free instruments. That's because they are backed by the U.S. government, which is deemed able to ensure that the principal and interest are repaid.
Generally, you cannot claim a capital gains loss on your retirement accounts that already are receiving favorable tax treatment. The only time you would have a loss is when you receive a distribution that had previously been taxed.
If you want to safeguard your retirement portfolio against future recessions or market declines, consider allocating some of your 401(k) toward target-date funds (TDFs) when things are more stable. TDFs are a class of mutual funds whose holdings become more conservative as they approach the target date.
| Age range | Average balance | Median balance |
|---|---|---|
| 25-34 | $30,017 | $11,357 |
| 35-44 | $76,354 | $28,318 |
| 45-54 | $142,069 | $48,301 |
| 55-64 | $207,874 | $71,168 |
We expect 2024 to be a year of diverging trends for the dollar. It will likely move lower on a broad trade-weighted basis early in the year but stabilize as the year progresses. Although we expect a general downward drift for the dollar, performance of individual currencies will likely vary widely.
In 2023, the US dollar has gone through some troubles with inflation and concerns of a recession, but it remains one of the most secure currencies in the world. The US dollar shows no sign of losing its place as the world's reserve currency, and is still $5.6tn ahead of China with its GDP.
Highlights of changes for 2024. The contribution limit for employees who participate in 401(k), 403(b), and most 457 plans, as well as the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan is increased to $23,000, up from $22,500. The limit on annual contributions to an IRA increased to $7,000, up from $6,500.
For those who stayed the course, account values fully bounced back within three years, or by the end of 2010. Those with traditional allocations — such as 60% stocks, 40% bonds — fared particularly well, Roy noted.
Will 401k rebound in 2024?
In 2024, the 401(k) contribution limits have gone up. While last year you could contribute a maximum of $22,500 (plus an additional $7,500 catch-up contribution for those 50 or over), the 2024 limit is $23,000.
The stratospheric inflation, brought on by government spending, borrowing, and printing too much money, has further eroded the value of 401(k) plans by $16,200 on average, for a real (inflation-adjusted) loss of around $33,200, or 24.8%.
All told, there were 422,000 retirement savers in Fidelity 401(k) plans sporting balances of seven figures and beyond as of Dec. 31, up from 349,000 at the end of September and 299,000 at the end of 2022. There were also 391,562 IRA millionaires on Dec.
The first factor that may be the root cause of your decreased savings is a down period in the stock market. These periods may be referred to as “dips,” “corrections,” “recessions,” or “market crashes” depending on the severity and timing of the down period.
The number of people in Fidelity's millionaires club remains relatively small — 1.8 percent of 401(k) participants and 2.61 percent of IRA holders — but they demonstrate a lot of positive behaviors that other investors should follow, such as not panicking when there's a market downturn.
