Here's a tragic fact that, according to Personal Capital, will leave many people in a rough position: only 32% of Americans are currently investing in a 401k, in spite of this being one of the best retirement options available. If you aren't and want to ensure you get help, you need a 401k advisor.

What a 401k Advisor Does

A 401k is a type of retirement plan that takes your money and invests it into different potential growth opportunities. A skilled advisor will make sure that your money gets placed in a way that makes sense for you and can provide many different benefits, including how they:

Assess Your Investment Possibilities – Your advisor will take the time to assess your investment possibilities, talk to you about your 401k, educate you on any things that you need to understand, and otherwise provide detailed information about your overall needs.

Create a Retirement Plan – A skilled advisor understands the different ways that they can create a retirement plan for you. They'll take the time to design a plan, produce investment performance plans, showcase better plan participation, create cost-saving strategies, and much more.

Provide High-Quality Design Consulting – Do you need a plan sponsor for your 401k? Are you aware of what a plan sponsor does? If not, an advisor can help. They will find a sponsor who can help you fund your 401k, including a variety of different outside sources and secondary investors.

Advise You When Investing is Wise – A great advisor is skilled at letting you know when the market is right for investment and when you should hold back. They'll make it clear when a 401k makes the most sense for you and times when it might be better to look elsewhere.

Produce an Investment Policy Statement – An investment policy statement or IPS helps to showcase all of your goals for your investment, showcases the plan sponsor, creates a sound understanding of what to expect in this process, and much more. It gives you a plan towards which you can work.

As you can see, a 401k advisor is important for people trying to make good retirement money before they get too old. If you take the time to understand these different factors, you can give yourself the best chance of avoiding long-term complications and keeping yourself financially secure.