Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.
I agree with the principle (mentally aggregate all retirement accounts when doing asset allocation - pick the best investments available in each account rather than try to get the same allocations in each of the accounts).
However, you may find that your employer (for a 401K plan) or your brokerage (for an IRA plan) will try to "help" you by telling you that the one account of yours that they see (which is only a part of your portfolio) is way out of whack. Ignore them.
I also agree with the "one pie" theory for asset allocation, that is counting all your accounts as one pie. The majority of people have their retirement funds with different companies. One service that made it easier for me is Personal Capital. https://www.personalcapital.com
I have no connection with the company, I just use the service. It's free and it claims to be secure. I haven't had any issues with it and I get daily emails regarding my accounts and transactions. A good thing to have if you are overseas like I am and need to keep tabs on your ATM accounts as well as your investments.
Comments
However, you may find that your employer (for a 401K plan) or your brokerage (for an IRA plan) will try to "help" you by telling you that the one account of yours that they see (which is only a part of your portfolio) is way out of whack. Ignore them.
I have no connection with the company, I just use the service. It's free and it claims to be secure. I haven't had any issues with it and I get daily emails regarding my accounts and transactions. A good thing to have if you are overseas like I am and need to keep tabs on your ATM accounts as well as your investments.