401(k)s for the Ages: Seeing Where You Stand

Have you ever wondered how your 401(k) nest egg compares with those of coworkers or neighbors your age? Here's a sneak peek into what Americans have stashed away in their 401(k)'s and how they've invested their money, by age group.

The numbers come from an analysis of some 20 million participants in nearly 54,000 employer-sponsored 401(k) plans done by the Employee Benefit Research Institute and the Investment Company Institute, as of the end of 2006.

20s

You may not bring home much bacon in your 20s. And retirement is probably only a distant dream. Employees in their 20s make up only 12 percent of all 401(k) participants. But the money you do manage to tuck into a 401(k) has a lot of time to grow. Here is a profile of accounts held by 401(k) participants in their 20s:

401(k) Account Balance

401(k)'s and Job Tenure

Average 401(k) Asset Allocation

*Guaranteed investment contracts. Percentages may not total 100 because of rounding.

30s

As you sign mortgage papers on your first home, perhaps with a toddler wrapped around each ankle, monthly bills might seem more pressing than retirement saving. But as you try to balance family and work responsibilities, don't forget about your nest egg. A quarter of all 401(k) participants are in their 30s. Here is a profile of accounts held by 401(k) participants in their 30s:

401(k) Account Balance

401(k)'s and Job Tenure

Average 401(k) Asset Allocation

*Guaranteed investment contracts. Percentages may not total 100 because of rounding.

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