401(k) Investing -- First Get the Facts

The financial question I have been asked most often this year is: How should I invest my 401(k) money?

The kaleidoscope may have been invented to reflect the variety of 401(k) plans available. There are good plans and there are bad plans. TSC's Alison Moore wrote a very illuminating column on 401(k) plans. I am going to address something a little different.

Whether you're stuck with the old single-family load funds or the newer no-load plan with up to 56 funds to select from, you have to make decisions. These decisions aren't easy to make, especially since you're busy scratching out a living. There are very few companies providing guidance or educational sessions on how to invest the money you put in. In today's column and next week, I will focus on just that issue -- the investment decision. ...