Advocate for a Better 401(k) and Tax-Smart Charitable Giving

Motley Fool Hidden Gems Investing

The Motley Fool

Business, Investing

4.3 • 3.1K Ratings

🗓️ 22 November 2025

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

For many Americans, contributing to an employer-sponsored plan is the primary way they’re saving for retirement. Unfortunately, not all of these plans are excellent, and you’re stuck with the investment choices and features chosen by your employer.Or are you? Longtime Motley Fool colleagues Robert Brokamp and Buck Hartzell talk about how the Motley Fool’s 401(k) was actually not very good in the early days, how they worked with the company to improve the plan, and how you might be able to get your employer to do the same. Also in this episode: How to lower your tax bill with charitable contributions, including why you maybe should give more in 2025 due to a provision in the new tax bill. Two worthy organizations to consider: the Fool Community Foundation (FoolFoundation.org), which creates new wealth-building opportunities for Americans living paycheck to paycheck, and Together We Bake (TogetherWeBake.org), which provides workforce development for women with limited resources facing barriers to employment. Host: Robert BrokampGuest: Buck HartzellEngineer: Bart Shannon Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	How to improve your 401k and reducing your taxes by giving to charity.
0:08.8	You're listening to the Saturday personal finance edition of Motley Full Money.
0:19.1	I'm Robert Brokamp, and this week we're going to skip the financial headlines and go straight to the interview, which is with my longtime colleague Buck Hartzell.
0:26.5	We talk about how the Motley Fool's 401K was actually not very good when we were first hired, how we worked with the company to improve the plan, and how you might be able to get your employer to do the same.
0:38.4	More than 100 million Americans participate in defined contribution retirement plans,
0:42.6	such as, you know, 401ks, 4303Bs.
0:45.1	Collectively, these plans hold more than $13 trillion in assets.
0:49.9	For many Americans, contributing to an employer-sponsored plan is the primary way they're
0:53.5	saving for retirement.
0:55.2	Unfortunately, not all these plans are excellent, and you're stuck with the investment choices and features chosen by your employer.
1:02.3	Or are you?
1:03.8	Here to join me to talk about the steps you could take to possibly improve your plan is Buck Hartzell, a senior analyst here at the Motley Fool and, like me,
1:11.8	an inaugural member of the Fool's very own 401k committee. Buck, welcome to the show. Thank you.
1:17.6	A fellow rabble rouser here. Yeah, it's great to be here, Robert. I think, you know, it's starting
1:22.4	to get cloudy here in northern Virginia. And we should really be on the beach somewhere. We really should be.
1:28.7	And I know you, like, we can afford to be on a beach. We've prepared pretty well for retirement.
1:33.6	But this is a topic that's a passion of ours, I think both of ours. And it's one where I think,
1:38.6	you know, we generally like helping people out. And so hopefully today, we can help some more people
1:43.6	prepare for their trip to the beach by maximizing their 401K. And so hopefully today, we can help some more people prepare for their
1:45.0	trip to the beach by maximizing their 401k and maybe prodding their employer to deliver a better
1:51.2	plan as well. Yeah. So let's talk about our history doing this because we've been doing this
1:54.7	at our own company. We have been at the Fool for a long time. We both joined in the 1990s.
	...

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