What Wall Street’s tech stock sell-off means for your 401(k)

A sharp stock market sell-off Thursday sent major indexes tumbling, raising concerns for Americans watching their retirement savings as financial experts warned against making emotional investment decisions.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 1,833 points, or 3.44%, while the Nasdaq Composite sank 5.52% and entered correction territory. The S&P 500 dropped 4.36% as technology and semiconductor stocks suffered heavy losses amid concerns about potential new artificial intelligence regulations following Democrats’ midterm election victories.

The steep declines could weigh on Americans’ 401(k) balances, particularly those heavily invested in stocks. However, the impact depends on how retirement savings are allocated and how close workers are to retirement.

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Mark J. White, a wealth advisor with Mark White Wealth Advisors, cautioned against making sudden changes to retirement investments in response to market volatility.

“Market declines can be unsettling, particularly for Americans approaching retirement, but the biggest risk is often not the decline itself. It’s making an emotional decision in response to it,” he told FOX Business.

For younger Americans, continuing regular 401(k) contributions during a downturn can work in their favor by allowing them to purchase investments at lower prices, White said.

Jay Duffy, co-founder and managing partner at Frame Wealth, told FOX Business the greater concern is for Americans nearing retirement whose portfolios may not be designed to withstand a major market decline.

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“The investors I worry about aren’t the 35-year-olds. It’s the 62-year-olds who are three years away from retirement, sitting in portfolios that were built for someone with another 20 years to recover,” he said.

Duffy warned that retirees who must sell investments during a downturn to cover living expenses face what financial planners call sequence-of-returns risk, which can accelerate the depletion of retirement savings.

White similarly advised Americans approaching retirement to maintain enough cash and conservative investments to cover near-term withdrawals, reducing the likelihood of having to sell stocks during a market downturn.

“Your retirement date shouldn’t dictate whether you panic. It should dictate how you’ve prepared. A well-constructed retirement portfolio should anticipate market declines, not require a complete overhaul every time they occur,” he said.

Duffy said investors should consider rebalancing if their portfolios no longer match their risk tolerance or retirement timeline, rather than automatically selling or doing nothing.

“Don’t make permanent financial decisions based on temporary market emotions,” he said.