Does a significant portion of your retirement assets exist within your 401(k) plan? If so, you’re not alone. Many workers use their 401(k) as their primary retirement-saving vehicle for a number of reasons. You get tax-deferred growth inside a 401(k) plan. You also may get matching contributions from your employer. Those two components can make a 401(k) a powerful accumulation vehicle.
 
Retirement isn’t only about asset accumulation, though. You certainly need to save a substantial amount of money to fund a long retirement. However, you also need to make that money last. Your retirement could last several decades. If you aren’t disciplined with your spending and money management, your 401(k) funds may not last the long haul.

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​How confident are you that you will have enough income and assets to support a comfortable and enjoyable retirement? If you’re like many Americans, you may not be completely confident. According to a 2016 study from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, only 21 percent of Americans say they’re “very confident” that they will have enough money to live comfortably through their retirement years.1
 
That lack of confidence could stem from a number of issues. Many workers may still be feeling the effects of the recession of 2008-09. Others may be suffering from the reduction in pension programs offered by employers. And many people could simply be behind on their retirement savings efforts.