Retirement: What do you know?

Investment fees, rollovers, 401(k) contributions – stuff you should know for retirement. Take our quiz to learn if you do.

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If you are in or near retirement, here are some things you probably should know. Let’s see if you do.

1.

Including employer match, how much income are investors commonly recommended to contribute to 401(k) retirement accounts?

(Choose one.)

  1. Only up to whatever qualifies for the employer match
  2. 5%
  3. 10%
  4. 15%

(Answer below.)

2.

True or False? By naming someone as a trusted contact, you give that person authority to make transactions on your behalf.

(Answer below.)

3.

True or False? Because of early withdrawal penalties, you generally want to avoid moving money from one retirement plan to another.

(Answer below.)

4.

Which of the following fees might you pay if you invest?

(Choose one.)

  1. Fees for owning an investment.
  2. Fees for buying or selling an investment.
  3. Fees for advice you get from an investment professional.
  4. All the above.

(Answer below.)

5.

What does it mean if an investment is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)?

(Choose one.)

  1. The investment is deemed safe by the SEC.
  2. The investment is insured by the SEC.
  3. The investment is approved by the SEC.
  4. The investment is legally listed with the SEC.

(Answer below.)

Answers

Want more? Try another retirement quiz.
Oh, and here’s another.
And yet another.

1.

d. 15%

Of course, the more you sock away, the more wealth you’ll have available for retirement. But, you’ll have limits – based either on how much of your income you need for basic living expenses or on the IRS caps for what you’re allowed to contribute each year. But 15% is a frequent general guideline for how much you should be putting into your 401(k). Consult your family and your advisor to consider the right contribution for you. Nationwide, the average contribution was 14.3%, including an average 4.8% employer match, according to a 2025 report from Fidelity Investments, a leading 401(k) administrator.

Learn more

2.

False.

Your trusted contact does not have access to your account, let alone authority to engage in activity in your account. You name someone a trusted contact so your advisory team has someone to reach out to if they suspect your account has been exposed to financial exploitation or fraud. Your advisory team could also turn to your trusted contact if they are having trouble reaching you or if they suspect you are sick or suffering from diminished capacity.

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3.

False.

But it’s true that you have to pay attention to rules covering pre-retirement distributions from tax-advantaged retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs. The IRS allows investors to roll over retirement assets from one account to another – under certain conditions. You have 60 days from when you get a distribution to roll it over into another retirement account. You can work with your plan administrator or the financial institution holding your IRA to make a direct rollover to the new administrator. Ask your investment advisor to help.

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4.

d. All the above.

You may pay fees for owning, buying or selling an investment as well as fees for investment advice or help you get from an investment professional. Don’t be shy about asking for explanations on fees. Pay attention to fees because they can add up, and even small ones can have an oversized impact on total investment performance over time.

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5.

d. The investment is legally listed with the SEC.

The federal agency responsible for regulating securities markets and protecting investors, the SEC was established by Congress in response to the stock market crash of 1929. The SEC oversees securities exchanges, brokerage firms, dealers, registered investment advisors, and investment funds.

While it doesn’t endorse individual offerings, the SEC helps make investments more compliant and accountable through registration, monitoring and enforcement.

Learn more

Compiled by Joel Dresang