Americans will soon be able to take penalty-free withdrawals from their 401(k)s, but experts say think twice about using retirement savings

New CARES Act lets Americans take penalty-free withdrawals from their retirement savings, but many have no retirement accounts, while those who do cash out could face future shortfalls, Wharton Prof. Olivia S. Mitchell explains to CNBC Make It.Read More

What ‘Rothifying’ 401(k)s Would Mean for Retirees

Taxing contributions to retirement accounts, or “Rothification,” boosts tax revenue in the short term. However, it would harm workers in the longer term, particularly the lower-paid, report Profs. Olivia S. Mitchell of Wharton and Raimond Maurer of Goethe University Frankfurt in the Wall Street Journal, citing their study.Read More

Economists say a recession is coming: How can 401(k) investors prepare?

Borrowing against your retirement savings can be tempting but counterproductive in a recession, says Nick Strain at MarketWatch, citing “Borrowing from the Future: 401(k) Plan Loans and Loan Defaults,” the Pension Research Council study by Timothy Jun Lu, Olivia S. Mitchell, Stephen P. Utkus and Jean A. Young.Read More

Alpha Opportunities In A Sluggish Return Environment

The global economic environment presents new challenges for investors across the board. Public and private pension plans, consultants, Wall Street strategists, and money managers have all ratcheted down their forward-looking views on asset returns, meaning that defined contribution plan participants will be hurting if the financial community’s morose predictions bear fruit.Read More