Reviews about 401K's & IRA's

rockettom says "Avoid the Smith Barney pirates" about Citi Smith Barney Financial Investments

rockettom — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:38:22 GMT

We have had Smith Barney IRA's for over 20 years. They started ok, we survived all the mergers and acquisitions, even went along with the whopping $40/year per account that they charged for mailing us four statements a year (which were unintelligible, by the way, by far the worst format in the industry.). But this year, they went to $75/year per account maintenance fee for their four mailings. We bailed. Plus when we closed our accounts, they charged the $75 fee plus another $75 for "Termination Fee". Cost us $600 just to close fouor accounts. These guys are really pirates. CitiBank is getting all these Federal bailout funds but they are still sticking it to their customers. I say, let them go down.

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micaho says "depends on who your advisor is, mine is good" about Citi Smith Barney Financial Investments

micaho — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 02:17:42 GMT

My money is in good hands with my advisor. He keeps me abreast of the economic climate, helps me when I don't understand and provides me with knowledgeable insight. My other advisors have not been customer service friendly and my newest advisor of over four years now is very helpful even in this economic turmoil I don't think a brand is required for investments, although it may help- i think it has a lot to do with the individual advisor and the type of service they can provide for you specifically. ...

foghornleghorn says "Ed Jones sucks" about edward jones Roth IRA

foghornleghorn — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:41:24 GMT

Personally, I think Ed Jones has to be the worst investment managment company out there. I have my own personal account that I manage and during these troubled times have gained 2%. My Ed Jones large account has lost 55% and going down still. And, one has to pay really high loads to make buys and sells and a managing fee. If I knew then what I know now I would have RAN away when solicited by Dead Head Jones. Another problem that I have had is when I need to make a buy or sell my broker can never be reached. So I am usually buying high or selling low. In fact I asked to make a buy on Exxon a few weeks ago when the price was 76. and when I got the buy order in the mail I paid 80.! Ed Jones dosn't know what real time investing is. The managers are too interested in taking money than they are in real research of the companies that they solicite or in really taking care of the client....

Dustieisfun says "OH, Too bad I don't have any $$$$ to put in one!" about Charles Schwab IRA

Dustieisfun — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:18:25 GMT

I used to have $ in my 401K through a company that invested the same $ amt that I put in and at the end of 23 yrs of working there, I quit and wanted to move on because I knew everything there was to know in the company in every dept. Including making the product. Schwaab Stamp and Seal Company. I had $70,000 some odd $ when all was said and done. Well my son's father and I had broke up and I was poor so I had to w/d it and use it for moving and to live on for a while til I found a better job. I did. But they had no investment plan yet in their company because they had recently opened in Milwaukee. I worked for that branch here. As an Office Manager which is what I ended up doing at Schwaab in the end too. Oh and when you w/d it early b-4 you retire u get penalized by our wonderful GOV"mnt of 43%. So by then I did not have much. I know stupid move on my part. Maybe I'll win the lottery some day that I never play! HA! HA!...

ptwo says "good fund options" about Fidelity Funds IRA

ptwo — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:39:30 GMT

First thing that I would like to say is: you have got to purchase roth IRA when you still can. It saves you tax and trouble after you retire.

Second, Fidelity has lots of good funds. They have friendly advisor to help you as well when need one, and it is not hard to find one and fit into your time schedule.

I have invested in fidelity for over five years now. In general, their funds have good returns (above average).It also has very diversified choices for you to choose from. If you have never invested before, fidelity is the place to start

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jeno654321 says "401Ks and IRA" about Vanguard IRA

jeno654321 — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 08:14:33 GMT

The topic of 401Ks and IRA is not so worthy a topic as the vessel into which one places their savings. Ultimately, both are merely tax deferred savings plans, where the savings are held is most important. Further, the question of what kind of investor are you is not an issue either, all the companies listed offer the full spectrum of accounts from aggressive to very conservative.

Most importantly, look at the companies, their track histories, and yes...their fees!!! Only one company on the list is worthy of mention and that is Vanguard. Not only do they have the performance history, but their fees are among the very lowest in the industry. All mutual funds have fees, even the no load funds. That is the cost of doing business so to speak. Many companies take advantage of what is allowable by the SEC while others manage quite fine minimizing said fees. A higher fee in no way connotes a better return, it simply is subtracted from what is called the total return.

Compare apples to apples....and...

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scounselor says "Don't use them!" about Principal Financial Group IRA

scounselor — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:51:50 GMT

This company doesn't honor their group LTD policies. I breezed through Aflac claiming on my STD benefits. I even breezed through the Social Security Administration and got approved for disability on my initial application. The Senior Claims Rep., Justin Schaack, assigned to my LTD claim with this company was rude and discouraging when I applied for benefits under the policy I had with them. And I STILL haven't collected any money on the group LTD policy I signed up for through my employer years ago! My LTD policy through this company was supposed to start paying me 90 days from the onset of my total disability. I'm now 14 months out of work and living on Social Security benefits and they STILL haven't approved my claim for LTD benefits through my employee benefits policy. I've had to sign away 50% of the back benefits they already owe me to an ERISA attorney to handle my appeal! They are corrupt and will act in bad faith when it comes to claims filed. They're......

swittie1 says "Solid, Trustworthy and Reliable - everything I ask for!" about Citi Smith Barney Financial Investments

swittie1 — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:27:46 GMT

My family and I have been invested with Smith Barney for decades. I have only experienced solid, trustworthy advice. My grandparents have trusted them with their hard-earned money since the 70's. Since then, they have proved to be reliable, knowledgable and steady.

As my employment has transferred from different companies and I save into 401K's, I roll them to Smith Barney and feel confident they are in good hands. I have also set up Simple IRA's as well as invested in mutual funds. I do not babysit my investments, as I know over the long-haul they will prosper.

During this difficult economic time, I am sure everyone has growing concerns over their finances as well as their investments. I feel confident that my investment is in good hands to recover well as our economy heals.

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DR-PILANI says "Gave up on Vanguard before I could start" about Vanguard IRA

DR-PILANI — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:59:15 GMT

After hearing a lot about VG and fidelity I thought opening an IRA account with VG but gave up after a few try

Why I gave up

1) to open the account they ask for 3 things

Account owner information. Supply each owner's name, birth date, Social Security

but when you fill this and hit continue you get an error! How difficult that can be. I checked my entry 4 times no success. I have almost 20 on-line accounts (banks and investment included so I know what I am doing)

For most Vanguard funds, a minimum initial investment of $3,000 per fund to open a Vanguard IRA®.

Most firm allow opening IRA account with as little as $500.

With minimum requirement of $3000 to open an account I find their claim of 'invest as little' base less..sorry

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JoeLansing says "Not very good" about Principal Financial Group IRA

JoeLansing — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:47:57 GMT

They are front loaded. Your employer pays them to manage your 401k. They say there are no fees, but they do have "Managment Expenses" which are the same thing. Those are on top of what your employer pays them. And they do hold money and not let you transfer it. At work a friend had a lot of money in their Real Estate fund. It was going down. He wanted to transfer it to Money Market. They put him in a queue to wait to be able to transfer. They said it could take up to 3 months.

There are a lot better. Avoid Principal Financial Group if you can.
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lilestif says "Fidelity is knowledgeable and helpful with 401K investing." about Fidelity Funds IRA

lilestif — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:24:43 GMT

My husband has a Fidelity 401K with his employer. This is not the first investment services we've had but it is the first that takes an active interest in what you want for your money.

They educate you according to what you are planning to do with your money. If you are a high risk investor they have suggestions for that.

If you prefer to have your money work in a different way then Fidelity is capable of finding the right fit for your needs.

When the recession hit and the market took the plunge, our investments with Fidelity lost less money per share than any other investments we had. Because we were low risk investors some of our investments didn't lose money and some gained.

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nevikleo says "Jay Blackburn Rules" about edward jones Roth IRA

nevikleo — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:48:56 GMT

The above named individual has helped me tremendously in planning my investment objectives. I have been outperforming the stock market with Mr. Blackburn's advice. The strong advice is to have all your eggs in many baskets and always be diversified.Save 15% of our gross income for retirement starting at age 25 will lead you to retirement by the age of 60....

plz says "Worst company to manage your 401K savings" about Principal Financial Group IRA

plz — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:31:55 GMT

I have a current 401K with Principal Financial Group. Have already contacted them 3 times about funds not being available in my acount. They sometimes block your funds and make it impossible for you to protect yourself in a going down market. So even if you predict the market is going down you cannot transfer in others funds like Money Market as they will not make the funds available to you until the market has reach the bottom. They are rude and don't care about you having to delay your retirement 2-3 year because their own mistakes. They once have appologied to me that one of thei employees has lost a transfer order so is was not executed for 3 weeks. I do not have the option to replace them as I'm still with my employer that has a corporate account with them, but I will definitevely find onther 401K retirement manager once I change my employment. If you have a choice don't use them. You will end up frustrated and having to delay your retirement because of their mistaskes....

mchelb1 says "great investment company" about Fidelity Funds IRA

mchelb1 — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:39:36 GMT

Fidelity has been my companies choice for 401k investing. Their website is very informative because they list all their information as well as each stock that is available and the corresponding information that goes with each stock. I also have had to contact Fidelity on many occassions, even though they have a horrible automated phone system their service reps. are very professional, knowledgeable and helpful. I would recommend Fidelity for any one who is looking to invest for their 401k....

glada says "Takes care of it's investors" about Vanguard IRA

glada — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:52:32 GMT

I have been with Vanguard for a couple of years now, through my employer's 401K program, and they have always done well fo rme. They have various forms of financial education material to assist you in your investment decisions. They ask you a few quesitons about your investment needs and wants and provide an asset mix to help you invest to meet your needs and goals. I would recommend their services to anyone looking to invest for theier future....

teqeela says "easy to use and great to learn" about Vanguard IRA

teqeela — Sun, 11 May 2008 02:45:55 GMT

i've been using vanguard's ira and regular mutual funds now for over 5-6 years now. they have been really great for those of us who don't get into the nitty gritty of investing. great tools to use to learn about risk and how it guides you towards various funds that match your risk tolerance. moreover it lets you know at each step why it recommends such funds... so far i've made some pretty decent returns over the years and the IRA i chose is still chugging along.

vanguard's website, compared to some other investment firms' i've used, is by far the easiest to use. they really make an effort to let you know what the terms mean, how to buy/sell and all in all don't make me feel stupid. it's a great way to start investing for the beginner.

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got8thnotch says "Peace of mind.... " about Vanguard IRA

got8thnotch — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:50:25 GMT

I am new to 401k and other retirement plans. And even more living on a fixed income. I make good and My wife brings home good pay too. So why don't I see the benefits of it all? I'm am broke every paycheck. I work over 100 hours a week sometimes my wife 50 or more. I wondering for along time of just how this is... I came up with the fact that I'm in debt up to my eye bays! I was never told about savings and investing in high school was a joke. It was all about the cars and clothes and who had what. I was able to get a great great job without any schooling which is a blessing above all others. Once I had this job the problems didn't go away. Yet I am digging my way out. I worked for 2 years before even looking into the vanguard 401k program my company offers. I didn't see how i could afford anymore bills but I knew I had to start putting away. Boy did I and after only 6 months I already had saved up over $3,500 and On my way to retiring with peace of mind that my future is secure. I urge...

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alexsmommy1 says "you reap what you sow" about Vanguard IRA

alexsmommy1 — Mon, 05 May 2008 01:10:20 GMT

We have opened Roth IRA with Vanguard over three years ago. We chose S&P 500 that was suggested to us by a financial advisor- and are very happy with it.The funds are low cost, easy to navigate website, and so far with all market being up & down ( mostly down) - minimal losses :) We set up an automatic transfer directly from our bank acount - the amount can be adjusted at any time - feature I love as my 401K choices get locked in for a quarter....

windbell123 says "very convenient" about Fidelity Funds IRA

windbell123 — Sat, 03 May 2008 07:39:35 GMT

Fidelity has very friendly interface, it is easy to find out the transction history, balance, and year to date change. It will be better if more details of the mutual funds will be provided. Also it's better if it provide some mutal fund selection tools. In a word, I like it....

Russsandra99 says "Doing a great job!" about Charles Schwab IRA

Russsandra99 — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:34:07 GMT

They have been doing great things with my money. The rep was very knowledgeable and had a great investment plan set up for me before I got there. It was very well balanced and had a good history of high return. I have been very happy with the rate of return on this investment....