High anxiety for 401(k) investors

Nest eggs shrink and grow amid stock market gyrations, giving those nearest retirement particular reason to worry.

Like many Americans, Steve Kriegsfeld has been watching his life savings bounce up and down each time the stock market takes a dramatic turn.

Lately, it's the drops that have grabbed his attention. In just one day last week, the Dow Jones industrial average plunged 465 points before partially recovering. It is down nearly 6% since Jan. 1.

"Does it concern me when it goes down? Yes," said Kriegsfeld, a 61-year-old Phoenix resident who started stashing away money for retirement when he was in his 30s.

The insurance agent makes it clear he is not "ready to jump out the window" when his portfolio takes a hit. But he pays close attention.His nest egg has grown significantly over the years, and the time he will need it draws closer every day.

As Americans increasingly link their well-being to financial markets, the possibility of recession and a slump on Wall Street has taken on new meaning for the middle class, including baby boomers who are approaching retirement age.

Some 50 million workers now participate in 401(k)-type savings plans, a number that has shot up since 2000 as employers increasingly stop offering traditional pensions.

Similarly, 46 million households hold a stake in the tax-advantaged savings plans known as individual retirement accounts, according to the Investment Company Institute.

The result is a historic linkage between the fortunes of the public and Wall Street, just as older baby boomers -- now past 60 -- focus more seriously on the living standards that await in their post-work years.

LA Times