What’s the reason people advise against rolling an old employer’s 401k into your new employer’s 401k?

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Mar 31, 2025
1:41:34pm

TCuz Coastal Elite

What’s the reason people advise against rolling an old employer’s 401k into your new employer’s 401k?

Is it just because the funds might not match and that’s annoying or is there a bigger reason?

I don’t want to roll my old 401k into an IRA (if I can avoid it) because it will make my regular backdoor roth conversions way more annoying, so wondering what the next best option is

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TCuz

Previous username: TCuz13
Bio page: TCuz
Joined: Mar 1, 2014
Last login: Apr 6, 2025
Total posts: 66,891 (21,259 FO)

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Messages

Author

Time

What’s the reason people advise against rolling an old employer’s 401k into your new employer’s 401k?

TCuz Coastal Elite

Mar 31, 1:41pm

most IRA's will have significantly more investment options than most 401Ks

fulano

Mar 31, 1:43pm

That's one big reason. Another is that, depending on your employer size

Mar 31, 1:46pm

That makes sense. So I’ll lose flexibility on investment options

TCuz

Mar 31, 1:46pm

This is my biggest reason, for sure.

Eddie

Mar 31, 1:47pm

And often lower fees too

supertux

Mar 31, 3:23pm

The only reason I can think of is if the old 401k is performing better than the

Avery

Mar 31, 1:47pm

The fees could be higher especially if you have moved to a smaller company.

Dangerous

Mar 31, 2:05pm

Sometimes they can’t transfer assets in kind, but liquidate to cash and transfer

seacougar

Mar 31, 2:27pm

Definitely don’t go to IRA if you’re doing backdoor Roth. Not just annoying,

seacougar

Mar 31, 2:28pm

One reason people might want to keep it in a 401k is so they can get a loan

crack

Mar 31, 2:32pm

Congratulations on the new job

Sandy Lyle

Mar 31, 2:43pm

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