Warren Buffett Says Never Do These 4 Things With Your 401(k)

Are your current savings not aligned with your retirement goals? Warren Buffett’s money-saving tips for retirees might be worth looking into. With decades of experience not only building his personal wealth but also guiding others on how to do the same, the Oracle of Omaha has extensive knowledge of what works and what doesn’t.

While you’d expect him to offer tips on strategies such as stock picking to build your 401(k), Buffett encourages everyday investors to keep things simple, especially if they’re new to investing. This article looks at what he’d probably warn you against if you’re looking to grow your retirement savings.

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Warren Buffett’s advice for investing retirement savings

Warren Buffett has advocated for the 90/10 rule since his 2013 letter to Berkshire shareholders. In the letter, the Oracle of Omaha noted that you don’t need extensive skills to invest. He also advised against trying to pick winners, especially if you’re a non-professional investor.

Instead, he recommended a simple strategy: the 90/10 rule. The rule calls for you to allocate 90% of your cash to a low-cost S&P 500 index fund and 10% to short-term government bonds.

Why consider this rule for your 401(k)? Well, its strength lies in its simplicity. Buffett’s recommended investment vehicles require little to no market timing or complex active management. You could execute the strategy regardless of your financial expertise and grow your savings without necessarily following every slight market movement.

What’s more, with the S&P 500 averaging roughly 10% per year, index fund returns could help you grow your retirement savings balance. And while short-term bonds tend to have lower returns, they’re more predictable, making them great cash cushions.

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What to avoid doing with your 401(k) based on Buffett’s philosophy

You don’t have to follow Warren Buffett’s rule to a T. In fact, depending on your goals and age, some financial advisors might recommend adjusting your investment vehicles and allocations. That said, the underlying principle, simplicity, is valuable for 401(k)s.

Just because your retirement account offers dozens of funds to choose from and lets you change your investments whenever you want doesn’t mean you should take your provider up on their offers. If Buffett were looking over your shoulder when making investment decisions for your 401(k), he’d likely advise you to avoid complications. With that in mind, here are some things he might warn against.

Chasing popular high-risk investments

While popular investments might be tempting because they promise high returns, they could expose you to significant risk and jeopardize your current contributions. That’s one of the reasons why Buffett cautions against picking individual stock “winners” and instead encourages investments in S&P 500 index funds. Index funds give you fractional ownership in multiple companies, which spreads your overall risk.

That isn’t to say that all funds are automatically great. As with regular investments, don’t choose one just because it’s popular at a specific time. Take time to review what each potential fund owns and whether its risk fits your appetite and retirement timeline before investing your money.

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Constantly switching investments

According to Warren Buffett, “The stock market is a device to transfer money from the ‘impatient’ to the ‘patient’.” This quote highlights one of Buffett’s most consistent investing lessons: patience.

The Oracle of Omaha doesn’t just encourage patience; he practices it. At the 2025 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder Meeting, he stated that the company would maintain its Japanese stock holdings for 50 years, or even longer. He also noted that Berkshire would be patient with its enormous cash pile instead of rushing to invest it.

While it might seem like a good idea to move your money into new investments when your current ones don’t perform as expected, doing so could expose you to avoidable risk. Rather than jumping ship every time the market makes you nervous, have a long-term mindset.

That doesn’t mean that you should stick with bad investments. Intentionally rebalance your portfolio if current vehicles display red flags.

Trying to time the market

It’s normal to want to sell investments as quickly as possible when analysts predict a crash, or to increase your stock allocation when the market starts to show signs of a climb. It might also be tempting to move your money into safe options, such as bonds, if you hear talk of a possible recession. However, as with constantly switching investments, such actions could be risky.

Warren Buffett recommends long-term investing over short-term market predictions. This philosophy is especially vital for non-professional investors, as it might be challenging to differentiate credible information from all the noise in the market. It also works well for 401(k)s since they’re designed for long-term goals.

Paying high fees for active management

Buffett has always been vocal about unnecessary investment fees. In his 2013 and 2016 letters to Berkshire shareholders, the Oracle of Omaha argued that it would be more profitable to invest in a low-cost S&P 500 index fund than to work with high-fee investment managers and consultants.

If you must work with investment managers, for reasons such as wanting a tailored allocation, compare fees across providers to minimize your expenses. While some investment fees might appear small at first, they could add up to significant figures, especially if you plan to hold your retirement accounts over decades.

It’s worth noting, however, that the cheapest options might not always be the best. Consider costs alongside factors such as strategy, risk, expertise, and past performance.

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Bottom line

Buffett’s approach to investing leans more toward playing it safe than gambling with your retirement savings. And it’s easy to see why. Your 401(k) is designed to help you grow your wealth so you can live comfortably after retirement. Treating it like a casino could attract significant losses at the wrong time.

However, Buffett’s advice might not be right for everyone. Depending on your retirement plan, you may need to diversify beyond bonds and index funds as well as make some short-term moves. If you want to be a little more aggressive with your retirement savings investments, consult a professional advisor for guidance.

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