Japan's investment allocation is highest among the major industrial countries.

An account may be a generic conservative or aggressive investment allocation, or a specific mutual fund-type account.

Beyond simple inertia and deference, opting in to a 401(k) also sets off a series of complicated decisions - about investment allocation and long-term planning.

His solution was to offer online financial advice from mPower Advisors, a San Francisco company that recommends investment allocations to workers at 130 companies.

Most participants in company 401(k) plans rode out the market decline last year without altering their investment allocations, according to a new study.

Participants will receive quarterly reports about the fund's performance and changes in investment allocations.

(The 2004 Deutsche Bank survey did not examine investment allocations.)

However, the employees tend to stick at the default contribution rates and investment allocations.

A survey released last year by Hewitt Associates showed that 80.5 percent of 401(k) participants didn't make any changes in their investment allocations in 2001.

When deciding on investment allocations in retirement savings plans, he said, investors should consider all their holdings.