Updated Mar 4, 2022. Christine Benz, from Morningstar, claims a return of 5% per year is a good number to use for planning. Secondly, investments made through a 401(k) often carry risk. Average 401 (k) Account Balance Has Soared 466% in Past 10 Years Fidelity analyzed the balances of those who remained invested in their 401 (k) in the decade following the Great Recession of 2008 and found that the balances went from $52,600 to $297,700. Write out your specific financial objectives on a piece of paper or in a word document. But we can start by looking at the risk / reward metrics of different types of portfolios. Thats quite a bit of saved paperwork. 'use strict';var cls_disable_ads=function(n){function h(a,b){var c="function"===typeof Symbol&&a[Symbol.iterator];if(!c)return a;a=c.call(a);var d,e=[];try{for(;(void 0===b||0