Help me select my 401k investment selections

[diggingout]

Hey all. I have never invested a penny in my life, and don't plan to until next year, but I started poking around my company's intranet and found our enrollment form, along with selection options. I haven't researched the ones with the lowest expense ratios yet, but thought I'd post my options here beforehand in case some of you have knowledge of these funds already. I apologize for the funky layout; posting from my phone. The 4-digit numbers are inquire codes.  Here they are:

EDITED TO INCLUDE EXPENSE RATIOS

Vanguard Explorer Fund Investor Shares (VEXPX)
Category: Domestic Stock, Small Growth
Expense Ratio: 0.53%

Loomis Sayles Bond Admin (LBFAX)
Category: Multisector Bond
Expense Ratio: 1.14%

Vanguard REIT Index Fund Investor Shares (VGSIX)
Category: Real Estate
Expense Ratio: 0.26%

Jensen Quality Growth J  (JENSX)
Category: Large Growth Fund
Expense Ratio: 0.87%

Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities Fund Investor Shares (VIPSX) HW LgCap Val A
Category: Inflation-Protected Bond
Expense Ratio: 0.20%

VanKamp Invesco Comstock A  (ACSTX)
Category: Large Value
Expense Ratio: 0.82%

Franklin Balance Sheet Investment A  (FRBSX) - Turner Small Cap Growth Fd
Category: Mid-Cap Value
Expense Ratio: 0.94%

Franklin Templeton Foreign Fund Class A
Category: Foreign Large Value
Expense Ratio: 1.21%

Turner Midcap Growth Investor  (TMGFX)
Category: Mid-Cap Growth
Expense Ratio: 1.18%

Templeton Developing Markets A  (TEDMX)
Category: Diversified Emerging Markets
Expense Ratio: 1.72%

Thornburg International Value Fund Class I (TGVIX)
Category: Foreign Large Growth
Expense Ratio: 0.88%

Franklin Mutual Global Discovery Fund A
Category: World Stock
Expense Ratio: 1.29%

PIMCO Total Return A  (PTTAX)
Category: Intermediate-Term Bond
Expense Ratio: 0.85%

FnklnCF Fnkln Inc A (COULDN' FIND)

Oppenheimer Value A  (CGRWX)
Category: Large Value
Expense Ratio: 0.95%

Dodge & Cox Income  DODIX
Category: Intermediate-Term Bond
Expense Ratio: 0.44%

Nationwide S&P 500 Index Svc  GRMSX
Category: Large Blend
Expense Ratio: 0.57%

Davis Real Estate A  RPFRX
Category: Real Estate
Expense Ratio: 0.96%

Nationwide Money Market Fund Institutional Class (GMIXX)
Category: Money Market Taxable
Expense Ratio: 0.49%

Davis NY Venture A  NYVTX
Category: Large Blend
Expense Ratio: 0.86%

Nationwide Investor Destinations Moderate Fund
Expense Ratio: 0.55%

Calvert Equity A  CSIEX
Category: Large Growth
Expense Ratio: 1.12%

NATIONWIDE INVESTOR DESTINATIONS MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE FUND
Expense Ratio: 0.85%

American Funds Income Fund of Amer R5  RIDFX
Category: Moderate Allocation
Expense Ratio: 0.32%

Nationwide Inv Dest Mod Agrsv Svc  NDMSX
Category: Aggressive Allocation, Large Blend
Expense Ratio: 0.87%

American Funds Growth Fund of Amer R5  RGAFX
Category: Large Growth
Expense Ratio: 0.38%

Nationwide Inv Dest Mod Cnsrv Svc  NSDCX
Category: Conservative Allocation, Large Blend
Expense Ratio: 0.87%

American Funds Capital Income Bldr R5  RIRFX
Category: World Allocation, Large Blend
Expense Ratio: 0.38%

American Century Small Cap Value Inv  ASVIX
Category: Small Value, Small Blend
Expense Ratio: 1.24%

 
 

 


 
 
 

[Jeremy E.]

i only looked at 4 or 5 of them, but the best option as far as i can tell is the following
NW S&P 500 Indx SC
I am a fan of 100% stocks so i would put 100% into this fund personally

[diggingout]

EDITED TO INCLUDE EXPENSE RATIOS

Hopefully, that will get a few more responses...thank you :)

[Jeremy E.]

Firstly, I would put money into your 401k up to your company match, then max your IRA, and then continue putting money into your 401k, as you can get better options in an IRA,
I still think GRMSX is the way to go, it follows the S&P 500 index, meaning it invests in the 500 biggest publicly traded companies in the U.S. equal to their market share. It should have almost identical returns to the U.S. stock market.  Personally I would put 100% into this, but if you want to invest in extra real estate you could put some into VGSIX, if you want bonds or international, I would get them in your IRA as VBMX for bonds or VGTSX for international(both have $3,000 minimums). Good Luck

[ReadySetMillionaire]

Firstly, I would put money into your 401k up to your company match, then max your IRA, and then continue putting money into your 401k, as you can get better options in an IRA,
I still think GRMSX is the way to go, it follows the S&P 500 index, meaning it invests in the 500 biggest publicly traded companies in the U.S. equal to their market share. It should have almost identical returns to the U.S. stock market.  Personally I would put 100% into this, but if you want to invest in extra real estate you could put some into VGSIX, if you want bonds or international, I would get them in your IRA as VBMX for bonds or VGTSX for international(both have $3,000 minimums). Good Luck

100% agree with this. The expense ratio in an identical Vanguard, Fidelity, or Schwab index fund is going to be around .07-.12, saving you .47% right off the bat. If you don't think that's a big deal, go to a compound interest calculator to see how much of a difference .47 makes over 25, 30, 35 years.

[diggingout]

@Jeremy E., thank you for your further advice!  That IS my plan...to contribute to my 401k, then max out a rIRA. With my current salary, I plan to contribute $12,500 to my 401k annually, and then $5500 to the rIRA.  Unfortunately, I don't get a match :(  They do a profit sharing contribution at the end of each year.

@ReadySetMillionare, I've used those calculators.  My options are painful!! 

[soccerluvof4]

I too like some exposure to reits via the Vanguard Fund you could get. Again a small percentage