What Kind Of Retirement Plan Is A 401K? 
What kind of retirement plan is a 401k ? It is a defined contribution retirement plan . Created in the early 1980 's as a supplement to traditional defined benefit retirement plans , 401k plans quickly went from supplemental to primary retirement plans in the USA . The performance good or bad in a 401k is almost entirely the responsibility of the employee . 401k plans represent a major shift in responsibility for plan outcomes to employees . 