Do your homework when exploring options for your 401(k)

By PAUL DAVIDSON and CHRISTINE DUGAS • Gannett News Service • October 10, 2008 Jitters about retirement savings have mushroomed as the Wall Street crisis has grown ever more ominous. During the first week of the meltdown last month, $411 million in 401(k) money was moved into fixed-income funds, including stable value, bonds and money market funds, according to Hewitt Associates. If you're five years or less from retirement, there's no shame in seeking refuge in safe investments to calm a knotted stomach. "This is the most conservative I've been in almost 25 years," says Sheryl Garrett, a financial planner in Kansas City, Mo. "It's all about preservation." Garrett says skittish investors might consider moving about 20 percent of a retirement account from stocks to stable value or fixed-income accounts that invest in... [read full story]