US. Despite the pandemic, 401(k) balances and savings rates are higher than ever

Even with climbing Covid-19 case numbers and ever-increasing inflation, employed retirement savers have been socking away record amounts of cash in their retirement investment accounts. Average 401(k) account balances and savings rates reached record highs in the second quarter of 2021, according to Fidelity Investments, the nation’s largest provider of 401(k) plans, marking three quarters of upward growth in a row. Another positive sign for savers’ finances: The number of outstanding 401(k) loans also decreased. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic,...