401K a conspiracy?

As I sit here watching my 401K go down the drain over the last week or so, I'm reminded of a concern I have with the whole system and wonder if we aren't being set up by the government, big business, and the very wealthy.

As most of you may know by now, there will most likely be no social security available for us generation X'ers (30-40 year olds) and beyond to rely on for retirement once the baby boomers suck it dry. Even though each of us have been faithfully (or should I say forcefully) dumping huge sums of money into this broken system for nearly our entire adult lives, we will never see any of it come retirement time.

So, the government and corporations now tell us that, in addition to paying social security, we should also invest as much as we can in 401K programs. In fact, G. Bush has been promoting a system where some of the money currently spent on social security could be used in a government type 401K program instead.

Who does this benefit?

The concern I have is that we are investing out money, our hopes and dreams of a decent retirement, into a system that benefits big business and the wealthy. What happens when the rich, who in many studies (sorry I can't back this up but have read about it in a couple books) can manipulate the stock market, and take profits, when ever they please?

I'm scared to death that I am investing my hard earned money into yet another system with nothing to show for it in the end. Only this time it's the rich that will get richer by manipulating the markets and take their profits leaving the hard working public high and dry.

Does anyone else have these same fears? Please help me believe that I won't have to work till I'm 100.

[edit on 19-5-2006 by mecheng]

[edit on 19-5-2006 by mecheng]

No, but I play my 401k like a fine-tuned violin. Do you not have the ability to move funds when you see the market moving? What I have found is that a lot of people don't actively manage their 401k and seem to think they can just leave it there and it will take care of itself.

I don't think there is any "set up" by anyone. I think there is a significant lack of education to the personal investor.

This week hasn't hit my 401k very hard at all, but that's because I've seen a market drop coming and moved the majority of my funds into my savings side of the 401k.

I'm with Val...

Watch, watch and watch.... pay very close attention to current events and the "market"... move those funds, don't be affraid to make the moves.

For about the last 2-3 years, I've kept the majority of my money on the savings side as well.

Another thing I've done is, as yearly raises and bonuses come, I've been buying CD's.. not a bad investment, and my bank just had a special one that paid 7%.

That's what I mean though. On the small scale, the only advice the common person gets is "keep putting in as much as you can, diversify, and don't try to time the market". My fund managers don't give any real advise and actually get agitated when you ask about timing, etc.

On a larger scale though I wonder if the 401K is just another way for the rich (investors that can manipulate the market) to get richer. I mean there is no security with the 401K. I could put in a million dollars and the day I'm to retire the market could crash and I lose everything (hypathetically).

I have the same fear. I believe it was called 'promis' software that has the ability do almost anything including running the market.
www.fromthewilderness.com...

Why couldn't they benefit from our loss. Someone did on 9/11.
hhtp://www.themodernreligion.com/terror/wtc-stocks-cia.html

It clearly seems that the rich are getting richer and of cource the poor keep gettin screwed.
www.freedomkeys.com...

[edit on 19-5-2006 by polanksi]

[edit on 19-5-2006 by polanksi]

Friends,
The 401k conspiracy is designed to involve as many Americans as possible in order to gain their tacit compliances, respectively, in allowing big business corporations to gain ever greater legal advantages beyond the mere human within our system. Deregulation, tax advantages, bankruptcy restrictions on consumers, and legalized or non-transparent accounting priviledges are some of those advantages that individuals have no access to.
Now, with so many thinking that they will individually profit when Exxon rakes in record profits because each owns some billionth of a percent of stock in that company held within their 401k, those sit by silent and compliant while these big businesses wreak havoc on our economic health.
That is the purpose of the creation of the 401k.
That is the conspiracy to force your compliance and your silence.