401k transfer: Can you transfer into an IRA while you stay at the employer?

My partner’s 401k is not easy to navigate. Many things not thrilling about it. It is Paychex sponsored. The mutual fund choices are limited. Understanding their fees and how transactions are fulfilled is not easy to look up. Is it possible to transfer a good amount of the 401k holdings into another custodian, someone like Fidelity, while still staying at her employer? She will stay working there for a while at least.

Probably not. It’s called an in service rollover, if it is allowed. You have to look at the policies set up by the employer, since they control how the 401k functions. Read the plan document.

I am allowed to do in-service Rollovers, I’m older than 59.5 though. Younger employees not allowed. I have done these Rollovers, but they pick my pocket ($60 fee). I know what you mean about “Junk 401ks” I am in one.

I was OK with my Fortune 50 Company’s 401K even after I retired.
Options did not seem bad… no fees that I paid… but Management fees Came out of funds.

My eye opener was attending a Financial Advisors Retirement session. Their advice was to roll my 401K to Load Funds they were pushing.

This really opened my eyes. I did Roll it over… to Vanguard!!!
The Company 401k Manager was OK. I did well. But Vanguard has more options and easier for me to follow and manage.

I’d love to see how many shops and RIAs push loaded funds.

Ultimately, the long-term results of going with index funds is indisputable. Maybe a few loaded funds have done better but who wants to experiment with 30 years of their life to see if a loaded fund beat VTI?

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Let me add, the Retirement Session Group Class (actually 6 sessions a week apart) was held at a local Public College. I assumed it was being put on by the College and would be objective. I failed to read /understand the fine print. Seems the advisor was only renting the space.

The presentations were very polished starting with innocuous subjects like… compounding etc . It was entertaining plus informative, most of which I knew.

When they asked for an asset statement to be followed by a one on one… I was cautious but basically did it to see where it went.

Well obviously, they saw the Balance in my IRA as Low Hanging Fruit and went for it.

I did not even get a free Dinner. :grinning:

In retrospect, it had some qualities of a Time Share Presentation.

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Did you at least get a nice steak dinner along with the presentation?