A Post-Mortem on Your 401(k)s in 2008

Maybe the best that can be said about the effect of last year's market crash on average 401(k) balances is: It could have been worse. The average balance dropped 24% in 2008, according to a study of accounts held by six million workers who consistently participated in a 401(k) plan from 2003 through 2008, by the Employee Benefit Research Institute and the Investment Company Institute.