Your 401(k) Portfolio: One Job, One Fund, and Where the Rest Belongs
A little of everything is not a portfolio. Here is the 401(k) allocation by stage, and what belongs elsewhere.
Refined FI
19 min read
Category
Saving for retirement research
403(b) Retirement Plan: How One Fee Can Add 5½ Years of Additional Work
I used to sell 403(b) annuities to teachers, but not anymore. What I learned to do and what NOT to do could save you years off your retirement date.
20 min read
457(b) vs 401(k): Can You Retire Seven Years Early?
Two people can save the same money and end up with the same portfolio balance. One retires at 52. One has to wait until 59½. The only difference is which account the money went into.
23 min read
Target-Date Fund vs S&P 500: Which One Gets You There Sooner?
Target-date fund vs S&P 500, run on real returns. One of them took 4.5 to 5.6 years longer to get you to the same number.
13 min read
Fidelity BrokerageLink: Two Questions Before You Open It
Fidelity BrokerageLink is worth it only if your plan lets you contribute 15% or more and you have a portfolio tested to beat the index and protect on the downside.
19 min read
How to Catch Up on Retirement Savings Without Touching Your Paycheck
How to catch up on retirement savings without cutting your paycheck. Before you save more, retire later, or spend less, check whether your portfolio matches your retirement stage. It's the cheapest fix you have.
10 min read
Best 401(k) Investments: Find The Index Fund Hiding On Your List
Your plan's fund list is a puzzle with one answer. Look for index, 500, or large cap blend, then check the fees. The cheapest fund is usually it.
19 min read
How To Invest HSA Funds: Payroll-To-Portfolio Protocol
How to invest HSA funds so they compound instead of sitting in cash: contribute through payroll, auto-invest on payday, and pay medical bills out of pocket.
14 min read
HSA vs FSA: One Builds Your Retirement, One Forfeits Your Money
Maxing your HSA instead of your FSA can pull your retirement date forward by four years. Here is the math.
15 min read
HSA vs Roth IRA: Where Should Your Next Retirement Dollar Go?
Want a retirement edge most people miss? The HSA can beat the Roth IRA, if you know three rules. See the 2026 math.
10 min read
The TSP Allocation That Could Save You Five Years of Work
Use 100% C Fund more than 10 years out, 70% C Fund and 30% G Fund inside 10, then let your retirement income gap set the final allocation.
14 min read
When Should I Start Investing? Today, in This Order
When should you start investing? Today. Take your 401(k) match now, clear card debt, save a month's salary, and see what a year of waiting costs.
13 min read
Featured
HSA vs Roth IRA: Where Should Your Next Retirement Dollar Go?
Want a retirement edge most people miss? The HSA can beat the Roth IRA, if you know three rules. See the 2026 math.
10 min read
Does Your Bond Fund Need Ozempic?
The best bond funds for retirement are usually active, flexible funds, not debt-weighted indexes. Refined FI weighs inflation and stock-bond correlation first.
11 min read
Retirement Income Sources: More Than Stocks and Bonds
Retirement income sources that behave differently in difficult markets. Most portfolios are built to grow wealth. This one was built to distribute income.
7 min read