How I Mezzi: My Empower 401(k) was aiming for 65. I wasn't.

How I Mezzi is a look at how I use Mezzi in my own financial life.

My Empower 401(k) offers pages of fund choices. The list shows performance and fees, but it cannot tell me how an investment fits with what I own elsewhere. That was the question I needed to answer.

Start with the whole portfolio

I downloaded the three-page investment options document for my Empower 401(k) and uploaded it to Mezzi. Then I asked: How should I allocate my 401(k)?

My current target-date fund was aimed at retirement around 65. I am planning for earlier. I also wanted to account for concentration in investments I already owned outside the plan. Looking at the 401(k) fund menu alone would miss both parts of the decision.

Mezzi considered that context and suggested a four-fund mix from the options available in my plan. It showed the proposed allocation and each fund's fees, giving me a starting point I could review rather than another page of performance numbers to sort through.

Look beyond the fund names

The fees stood out. In the plan document I used, the four suggested funds had net expense ratios ranging from 0.01% to 0.05%. Some other choices on the menu were 0.65% to 0.80%. Those are examples from my plan, not a general comparison of all 401(k) funds. Fees and available funds vary by employer and can change, so check your current plan documents before making a choice.

The useful question was not simply which fund had the lowest fee. It was how a set of funds could fit my retirement timeline and the investments I already held, with the costs visible beside the allocation.