Is A 401K Considered A Retirement Plan? 
That is a great question ! In the technical sense , yes , 401k 's are a retirement plan . They were not originally designed to be the primary retirement vehicle though . Originally , they were designed to compliment the pension , or company retirement plan that you would receive from your employer . As time has passed , less and less companies offer pension plans , and turned to 401k 's as a way to offer a retirement option while not having the risk of paying you after you retire . They contribute a certain amount , but the risk of losses is strictly yours . As a result , many folks have seen their retirement funds disappear when the market has fared poorly . A 401k can be a valuable part of your retirement plan , but should not be the entirety of it . Please contact me , if you would like more details , okay ? Thanks for asking ! 