How Do You Protect Your 401k Before a Market Crash?
Ben Russell • January 2, 2023
It’s true that if you buy and hold in the S&P or other comprehensive stock indexes, you’ll see an average increase of 6% per year. In fact, if you look at a graph of the S&P since its founding, you’ll see how consistent its rise really is.

But when you zoom out to look at what the stock market is doing year to year, there’s a lot more drama going on. And you’ll notice there have been some pretty severe crashes in recent decades.

When crashes such as the 2008 crash happen, is there really nothing you can do? Do you need to buy and hold with your head buried in the sand hoping and praying it will all turn out ok?
If you want to protect your 401k before a market crash, you have to be prepared in advance and you need to be able to take action quickly. What do I mean by that? I mean have the conversation now about your options for your long-term money during a crash–before we’re actually in one.
To do this, reach out to your benefits administrator and ask them how they handle major downturns and what, if any, your options are for preventing the loss of money unnecessarily. You may have some more options than you know.
That way, when a crash actually occurs, you (and your benefits administrator) will have a plan. You could think of it like having an emergency kit at home. The best time to get it all set up and stocked with rations, blankets, fresh water and a flashlight is before an earthquake occurs, not after!
No two 401k programs are alike. Each company works with a benefits administrator and chooses which funds are available as investment options. These options are usually very, very limited. Most 401k administrators have a plethora of options for during a bull market (when the market is trending up). But in a bear market (when the market is trending down), some 401ks have limited options.
Taking your account to cash means you’re getting out of the market altogether by selling all your positions at once. You’ll still keep your money in your brokerage account when you do this, you just won't have any of your money in the market for the time being, because all of your positions will be sold.
To see if your 401k program has the ability to take your account to cash, take a look to see if you have access to a “money market” or “cash” account as an option in your program.
Here at TRADEway we think like traders.
Since the market moves in cycles every few years, we imagine how different your account could look if you stepped on the sidelines during a downturn.
Some advisors may call this timing the market. I disagree. I would simply say I want to apply technical trading analysis to my investment philosophy.
If your 401k does offer a money market account, you can move your money in and out of that account while the market is volatile or in a downtrend, and still make some interest.
When should you make this switch from active positions to your money market account? Good question!
Our team at TRADEway works hard to help you make the tough decisions with technical and news analysis for the market. In our AMPT program (Assisted Managed Portfolios by TRADEway) we help preserve long-term assets by using strategies that take advantage of bull markets (when the market’s going up) and are more conservative and protective during bear markets (when the market’s going down). We want to protect your money from the crashes and major downturns.
Want to learn more about how a strategy like this could help you better preserve your long-term money?
Book a call with our AMPT team to learn more about our program.
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By David Mitchell
•
December 8, 2025
Did you know that 80-90% of stock traders fail? This might look like pretty terrible odds at first, but don’t let this statistic scare you. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to be the exception. Let’s look at the seven most common reasons why traders give up.
By David Mitchell
•
December 8, 2025
Did you know that 80-90% of stock traders fail? This might look like pretty terrible odds at first, but don’t let this statistic scare you. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to be the exception. Let’s look at the seven most common reasons why traders give up. 
By David Mitchell
•
November 24, 2025
The long-term investing industry hasn’t really changed that much in the last 50 years as far as their message goes: ”Don’t worry about bear market crashes, just stay the course…” Many people argue that the average person on the street would be way better off if they just bought the S&P 500 and held it rather than trying to buy and sell individual stocks themselves. Well, that may be absolutely true if you have zero trading skillsets. But if you do have the kind of trading skillsets that TRADEway teaches, then the old line philosophy of buy and hold isn’t the best strategy for you. In today’s episode we’re talking about some common myths that buy-and-hold-ers propagate. Let’s get into this important discussion… 
By David Mitchell
•
November 24, 2025
The long-term investing industry hasn’t really changed that much in the last 50 years as far as their message goes: ”Don’t worry about bear market crashes, just stay the course…” Many people argue that the average person on the street would be way better off if they just bought the S&P 500 and held it rather than trying to buy and sell individual stocks themselves. Well, that may be absolutely true if you have zero trading skillsets. But if you do have the kind of trading skillsets that TRADEway teaches, then the old line philosophy of buy and hold isn’t the best strategy for you. In today’s episode we’re talking about some common myths that buy-and-hold-ers propagate. Let’s get into this important discussion…
By Dave Huber
•
November 10, 2025
We all know that feeling… A trade is going well and you’re feeling elated anticipating taking profits. And then out of seemingly nowhere, it tanks. Man, it’s frustrating! And if this has happened to you–maybe once, maybe many times–just know, you’re not alone. You might be wondering, why did this happen? It turns out there are three common reasons why trades stop working. Once you learn these three reasons it will be easier for you to analyze your past trades and figure out what went wrong. But more importantly, once you learn these three reasons why trades stop working, you’ll be better able to prevent a trade from going south in the first place, because you’ll start to recognize the warning signs. So let’s dive in. Here are three most common reasons why people’s trades stop working.
By Dave Huber
•
November 10, 2025
We all know that feeling… A trade is going well and you’re feeling elated anticipating taking profits. And then out of seemingly nowhere, it tanks. Man, it’s frustrating! And if this has happened to you–maybe once, maybe many times–just know, you’re not alone. You might be wondering, why did this happen? It turns out there are three common reasons why trades stop working. Once you learn these three reasons it will be easier for you to analyze your past trades and figure out what went wrong. But more importantly, once you learn these three reasons why trades stop working, you’ll be better able to prevent a trade from going south in the first place, because you’ll start to recognize the warning signs. So let’s dive in. Here are three most common reasons why people’s trades stop working.
By Dave Huber
•
October 27, 2025
Can you imagine what it would feel like to be steadily improving your trading week after week, month after month? Consistently improving your trading over time isn’t rocket science, but it sure can feel that way–especially if your profits have been inconsistent so far. Today, I’m sharing three simple ideas you can use to improve your trading. If getting to a place where you’re seeing consistent profits is something that’s been on your mind for a while, then be sure to listen to today’s episode all the way through because I think you’ll be surprised at just how simple improving your trading can really be.
By Dave Huber
•
October 27, 2025
Can you imagine what it would feel like to be steadily improving your trading week after week, month after month? Consistently improving your trading over time isn’t rocket science, but it sure can feel that way–especially if your profits have been inconsistent so far. Today, I’m sharing three simple ideas you can use to improve your trading. If getting to a place where you’re seeing consistent profits is something that’s been on your mind for a while, then be sure to listen to today’s episode all the way through because I think you’ll be surprised at just how simple improving your trading can really be.
By Ben Mitchell
•
October 13, 2025
What do you do if you’re excited about learning how to trade in the stock market but your spouse has reservations? Today we’re going to be talking about how to integrate the skill set of trading into the family, and providing some suggestions about how to share your excitement for trading with your spouse. Here at TRADEway we teach families how to take advantage of one of the most dynamic markets in history, the US stock market. But you can’t incorporate something like stock trading into your household unless there is a shared mission between husband and wife. So what do you do if you want to give stock trading a try, but you’re not sure if your spouse is “all in” on it? That’s what we’re going to talk about today.
By Ben Mitchell
•
October 13, 2025
What do you do if you’re excited about learning how to trade in the stock market but your spouse has reservations? Today we’re going to be talking about how to integrate the skill set of trading into the family, and providing some suggestions about how to share your excitement for trading with your spouse. Here at TRADEway we teach families how to take advantage of one of the most dynamic markets in history, the US stock market. But you can’t incorporate something like stock trading into your household unless there is a shared mission between husband and wife. So what do you do if you want to give stock trading a try, but you’re not sure if your spouse is “all in” on it? That’s what we’re going to talk about today.
By David Mitchell
•
December 8, 2025
Did you know that 80-90% of stock traders fail? This might look like pretty terrible odds at first, but don’t let this statistic scare you. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to be the exception. Let’s look at the seven most common reasons why traders give up.
By David Mitchell
•
December 8, 2025
Did you know that 80-90% of stock traders fail? This might look like pretty terrible odds at first, but don’t let this statistic scare you. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to be the exception. Let’s look at the seven most common reasons why traders give up. 
By David Mitchell
•
November 24, 2025
The long-term investing industry hasn’t really changed that much in the last 50 years as far as their message goes: ”Don’t worry about bear market crashes, just stay the course…” Many people argue that the average person on the street would be way better off if they just bought the S&P 500 and held it rather than trying to buy and sell individual stocks themselves. Well, that may be absolutely true if you have zero trading skillsets. But if you do have the kind of trading skillsets that TRADEway teaches, then the old line philosophy of buy and hold isn’t the best strategy for you. In today’s episode we’re talking about some common myths that buy-and-hold-ers propagate. Let’s get into this important discussion… 
By David Mitchell
•
November 24, 2025
The long-term investing industry hasn’t really changed that much in the last 50 years as far as their message goes: ”Don’t worry about bear market crashes, just stay the course…” Many people argue that the average person on the street would be way better off if they just bought the S&P 500 and held it rather than trying to buy and sell individual stocks themselves. Well, that may be absolutely true if you have zero trading skillsets. But if you do have the kind of trading skillsets that TRADEway teaches, then the old line philosophy of buy and hold isn’t the best strategy for you. In today’s episode we’re talking about some common myths that buy-and-hold-ers propagate. Let’s get into this important discussion…
By Dave Huber
•
November 10, 2025
We all know that feeling… A trade is going well and you’re feeling elated anticipating taking profits. And then out of seemingly nowhere, it tanks. Man, it’s frustrating! And if this has happened to you–maybe once, maybe many times–just know, you’re not alone. You might be wondering, why did this happen? It turns out there are three common reasons why trades stop working. Once you learn these three reasons it will be easier for you to analyze your past trades and figure out what went wrong. But more importantly, once you learn these three reasons why trades stop working, you’ll be better able to prevent a trade from going south in the first place, because you’ll start to recognize the warning signs. So let’s dive in. Here are three most common reasons why people’s trades stop working.
By Dave Huber
•
November 10, 2025
We all know that feeling… A trade is going well and you’re feeling elated anticipating taking profits. And then out of seemingly nowhere, it tanks. Man, it’s frustrating! And if this has happened to you–maybe once, maybe many times–just know, you’re not alone. You might be wondering, why did this happen? It turns out there are three common reasons why trades stop working. Once you learn these three reasons it will be easier for you to analyze your past trades and figure out what went wrong. But more importantly, once you learn these three reasons why trades stop working, you’ll be better able to prevent a trade from going south in the first place, because you’ll start to recognize the warning signs. So let’s dive in. Here are three most common reasons why people’s trades stop working.
By Dave Huber
•
October 27, 2025
Can you imagine what it would feel like to be steadily improving your trading week after week, month after month? Consistently improving your trading over time isn’t rocket science, but it sure can feel that way–especially if your profits have been inconsistent so far. Today, I’m sharing three simple ideas you can use to improve your trading. If getting to a place where you’re seeing consistent profits is something that’s been on your mind for a while, then be sure to listen to today’s episode all the way through because I think you’ll be surprised at just how simple improving your trading can really be.
By Dave Huber
•
October 27, 2025
Can you imagine what it would feel like to be steadily improving your trading week after week, month after month? Consistently improving your trading over time isn’t rocket science, but it sure can feel that way–especially if your profits have been inconsistent so far. Today, I’m sharing three simple ideas you can use to improve your trading. If getting to a place where you’re seeing consistent profits is something that’s been on your mind for a while, then be sure to listen to today’s episode all the way through because I think you’ll be surprised at just how simple improving your trading can really be.
By Ben Mitchell
•
October 13, 2025
What do you do if you’re excited about learning how to trade in the stock market but your spouse has reservations? Today we’re going to be talking about how to integrate the skill set of trading into the family, and providing some suggestions about how to share your excitement for trading with your spouse. Here at TRADEway we teach families how to take advantage of one of the most dynamic markets in history, the US stock market. But you can’t incorporate something like stock trading into your household unless there is a shared mission between husband and wife. So what do you do if you want to give stock trading a try, but you’re not sure if your spouse is “all in” on it? That’s what we’re going to talk about today.
By Ben Mitchell
•
October 13, 2025
What do you do if you’re excited about learning how to trade in the stock market but your spouse has reservations? Today we’re going to be talking about how to integrate the skill set of trading into the family, and providing some suggestions about how to share your excitement for trading with your spouse. Here at TRADEway we teach families how to take advantage of one of the most dynamic markets in history, the US stock market. But you can’t incorporate something like stock trading into your household unless there is a shared mission between husband and wife. So what do you do if you want to give stock trading a try, but you’re not sure if your spouse is “all in” on it? That’s what we’re going to talk about today.
By David Mitchell
•
December 8, 2025
Did you know that 80-90% of stock traders fail? This might look like pretty terrible odds at first, but don’t let this statistic scare you. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to be the exception. Let’s look at the seven most common reasons why traders give up.
By David Mitchell
•
December 8, 2025
Did you know that 80-90% of stock traders fail? This might look like pretty terrible odds at first, but don’t let this statistic scare you. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to be the exception. Let’s look at the seven most common reasons why traders give up. 
By David Mitchell
•
November 24, 2025
The long-term investing industry hasn’t really changed that much in the last 50 years as far as their message goes: ”Don’t worry about bear market crashes, just stay the course…” Many people argue that the average person on the street would be way better off if they just bought the S&P 500 and held it rather than trying to buy and sell individual stocks themselves. Well, that may be absolutely true if you have zero trading skillsets. But if you do have the kind of trading skillsets that TRADEway teaches, then the old line philosophy of buy and hold isn’t the best strategy for you. In today’s episode we’re talking about some common myths that buy-and-hold-ers propagate. Let’s get into this important discussion… 
By David Mitchell
•
November 24, 2025
The long-term investing industry hasn’t really changed that much in the last 50 years as far as their message goes: ”Don’t worry about bear market crashes, just stay the course…” Many people argue that the average person on the street would be way better off if they just bought the S&P 500 and held it rather than trying to buy and sell individual stocks themselves. Well, that may be absolutely true if you have zero trading skillsets. But if you do have the kind of trading skillsets that TRADEway teaches, then the old line philosophy of buy and hold isn’t the best strategy for you. In today’s episode we’re talking about some common myths that buy-and-hold-ers propagate. Let’s get into this important discussion…
By Dave Huber
•
November 10, 2025
We all know that feeling… A trade is going well and you’re feeling elated anticipating taking profits. And then out of seemingly nowhere, it tanks. Man, it’s frustrating! And if this has happened to you–maybe once, maybe many times–just know, you’re not alone. You might be wondering, why did this happen? It turns out there are three common reasons why trades stop working. Once you learn these three reasons it will be easier for you to analyze your past trades and figure out what went wrong. But more importantly, once you learn these three reasons why trades stop working, you’ll be better able to prevent a trade from going south in the first place, because you’ll start to recognize the warning signs. So let’s dive in. Here are three most common reasons why people’s trades stop working.
By Dave Huber
•
November 10, 2025
We all know that feeling… A trade is going well and you’re feeling elated anticipating taking profits. And then out of seemingly nowhere, it tanks. Man, it’s frustrating! And if this has happened to you–maybe once, maybe many times–just know, you’re not alone. You might be wondering, why did this happen? It turns out there are three common reasons why trades stop working. Once you learn these three reasons it will be easier for you to analyze your past trades and figure out what went wrong. But more importantly, once you learn these three reasons why trades stop working, you’ll be better able to prevent a trade from going south in the first place, because you’ll start to recognize the warning signs. So let’s dive in. Here are three most common reasons why people’s trades stop working.
By Dave Huber
•
October 27, 2025
Can you imagine what it would feel like to be steadily improving your trading week after week, month after month? Consistently improving your trading over time isn’t rocket science, but it sure can feel that way–especially if your profits have been inconsistent so far. Today, I’m sharing three simple ideas you can use to improve your trading. If getting to a place where you’re seeing consistent profits is something that’s been on your mind for a while, then be sure to listen to today’s episode all the way through because I think you’ll be surprised at just how simple improving your trading can really be.
By Dave Huber
•
October 27, 2025
Can you imagine what it would feel like to be steadily improving your trading week after week, month after month? Consistently improving your trading over time isn’t rocket science, but it sure can feel that way–especially if your profits have been inconsistent so far. Today, I’m sharing three simple ideas you can use to improve your trading. If getting to a place where you’re seeing consistent profits is something that’s been on your mind for a while, then be sure to listen to today’s episode all the way through because I think you’ll be surprised at just how simple improving your trading can really be.
By Ben Mitchell
•
October 13, 2025
What do you do if you’re excited about learning how to trade in the stock market but your spouse has reservations? Today we’re going to be talking about how to integrate the skill set of trading into the family, and providing some suggestions about how to share your excitement for trading with your spouse. Here at TRADEway we teach families how to take advantage of one of the most dynamic markets in history, the US stock market. But you can’t incorporate something like stock trading into your household unless there is a shared mission between husband and wife. So what do you do if you want to give stock trading a try, but you’re not sure if your spouse is “all in” on it? That’s what we’re going to talk about today.
By Ben Mitchell
•
October 13, 2025
What do you do if you’re excited about learning how to trade in the stock market but your spouse has reservations? Today we’re going to be talking about how to integrate the skill set of trading into the family, and providing some suggestions about how to share your excitement for trading with your spouse. Here at TRADEway we teach families how to take advantage of one of the most dynamic markets in history, the US stock market. But you can’t incorporate something like stock trading into your household unless there is a shared mission between husband and wife. So what do you do if you want to give stock trading a try, but you’re not sure if your spouse is “all in” on it? That’s what we’re going to talk about today.
By David Mitchell
•
December 8, 2025
Did you know that 80-90% of stock traders fail? This might look like pretty terrible odds at first, but don’t let this statistic scare you. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to be the exception. Let’s look at the seven most common reasons why traders give up.
By David Mitchell
•
December 8, 2025
Did you know that 80-90% of stock traders fail? This might look like pretty terrible odds at first, but don’t let this statistic scare you. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to be the exception. Let’s look at the seven most common reasons why traders give up. 
By David Mitchell
•
November 24, 2025
The long-term investing industry hasn’t really changed that much in the last 50 years as far as their message goes: ”Don’t worry about bear market crashes, just stay the course…” Many people argue that the average person on the street would be way better off if they just bought the S&P 500 and held it rather than trying to buy and sell individual stocks themselves. Well, that may be absolutely true if you have zero trading skillsets. But if you do have the kind of trading skillsets that TRADEway teaches, then the old line philosophy of buy and hold isn’t the best strategy for you. In today’s episode we’re talking about some common myths that buy-and-hold-ers propagate. Let’s get into this important discussion… 
By David Mitchell
•
November 24, 2025
The long-term investing industry hasn’t really changed that much in the last 50 years as far as their message goes: ”Don’t worry about bear market crashes, just stay the course…” Many people argue that the average person on the street would be way better off if they just bought the S&P 500 and held it rather than trying to buy and sell individual stocks themselves. Well, that may be absolutely true if you have zero trading skillsets. But if you do have the kind of trading skillsets that TRADEway teaches, then the old line philosophy of buy and hold isn’t the best strategy for you. In today’s episode we’re talking about some common myths that buy-and-hold-ers propagate. Let’s get into this important discussion…
By Dave Huber
•
November 10, 2025
We all know that feeling… A trade is going well and you’re feeling elated anticipating taking profits. And then out of seemingly nowhere, it tanks. Man, it’s frustrating! And if this has happened to you–maybe once, maybe many times–just know, you’re not alone. You might be wondering, why did this happen? It turns out there are three common reasons why trades stop working. Once you learn these three reasons it will be easier for you to analyze your past trades and figure out what went wrong. But more importantly, once you learn these three reasons why trades stop working, you’ll be better able to prevent a trade from going south in the first place, because you’ll start to recognize the warning signs. So let’s dive in. Here are three most common reasons why people’s trades stop working.
By Dave Huber
•
November 10, 2025
We all know that feeling… A trade is going well and you’re feeling elated anticipating taking profits. And then out of seemingly nowhere, it tanks. Man, it’s frustrating! And if this has happened to you–maybe once, maybe many times–just know, you’re not alone. You might be wondering, why did this happen? It turns out there are three common reasons why trades stop working. Once you learn these three reasons it will be easier for you to analyze your past trades and figure out what went wrong. But more importantly, once you learn these three reasons why trades stop working, you’ll be better able to prevent a trade from going south in the first place, because you’ll start to recognize the warning signs. So let’s dive in. Here are three most common reasons why people’s trades stop working.
By Dave Huber
•
October 27, 2025
Can you imagine what it would feel like to be steadily improving your trading week after week, month after month? Consistently improving your trading over time isn’t rocket science, but it sure can feel that way–especially if your profits have been inconsistent so far. Today, I’m sharing three simple ideas you can use to improve your trading. If getting to a place where you’re seeing consistent profits is something that’s been on your mind for a while, then be sure to listen to today’s episode all the way through because I think you’ll be surprised at just how simple improving your trading can really be.
By Dave Huber
•
October 27, 2025
Can you imagine what it would feel like to be steadily improving your trading week after week, month after month? Consistently improving your trading over time isn’t rocket science, but it sure can feel that way–especially if your profits have been inconsistent so far. Today, I’m sharing three simple ideas you can use to improve your trading. If getting to a place where you’re seeing consistent profits is something that’s been on your mind for a while, then be sure to listen to today’s episode all the way through because I think you’ll be surprised at just how simple improving your trading can really be.
By Ben Mitchell
•
October 13, 2025
What do you do if you’re excited about learning how to trade in the stock market but your spouse has reservations? Today we’re going to be talking about how to integrate the skill set of trading into the family, and providing some suggestions about how to share your excitement for trading with your spouse. Here at TRADEway we teach families how to take advantage of one of the most dynamic markets in history, the US stock market. But you can’t incorporate something like stock trading into your household unless there is a shared mission between husband and wife. So what do you do if you want to give stock trading a try, but you’re not sure if your spouse is “all in” on it? That’s what we’re going to talk about today.
By Ben Mitchell
•
October 13, 2025
What do you do if you’re excited about learning how to trade in the stock market but your spouse has reservations? Today we’re going to be talking about how to integrate the skill set of trading into the family, and providing some suggestions about how to share your excitement for trading with your spouse. Here at TRADEway we teach families how to take advantage of one of the most dynamic markets in history, the US stock market. But you can’t incorporate something like stock trading into your household unless there is a shared mission between husband and wife. So what do you do if you want to give stock trading a try, but you’re not sure if your spouse is “all in” on it? That’s what we’re going to talk about today.