401(k) Plans’ Advice to Employees: Buy and Hold Still Works (Smart Money)

As stock values plummeted over the past three months, many employees sought guidance on how to adjust their 401(k) portfolios to ride out the storm. Depending on where they turned, they may have received very different advice.

Nearly across the board, 401(k) advisors recommended employees sit tight and keep contributing. Employees who consulted their personal advisor may have received a very different recommendation. In September, roughly three out of four advisors suggested clients take a more tactical investment approach, tweaking their portfolio based on current market conditions, according to a survey of 500 financial advisors surveyed by Jefferson National.

A more moderate answer? Maintain a tactical approach in just one area of your portfolio. Steve Blumenthal, chief executive officer of CMG Capital Management Group, recommends keeping one-third of a portfolio tactical so that investors can  reduce volatility in an uncertain market without losing all equity exposure.