Retirement Data: Fidelity Plan Balances Average Six Figures at End of Q4 2017

Please click on the above chart to enlarge. From Fidelity's press release:

• IRA and 401(k) accounts continue to hit record levels. Increasing contributions and a strong stock market drove both the average 401(k) and IRA balances over six figures. The average 401(k) balance rose to $104,300, 13 percent higher than Q4 2016. The average IRA balance climbed to $106,000, which is also a 13 percent year-over-year increase. 

February 2018 Market Update - Volatility Returns

The S&P 500 was up 5.62% in January. When we examine global securities via the Morgan Stanley Capital International All Country World Index (MSCI ACWI, iShares ETF ACWI), which represents 85% of the global investable equity market, it has been up a record 15 months in a row. After a surge in the stock market to start 2018, the S&P 500 finally experienced a 3% or greater correction (during the week on January 29-February 2). The last time investors encountered such weakness requires us to travel back in time to November 4, 2016, right before the U.S. Presidential election. Let's review price, sentiment and valuation as we enter February.