<prompt> Human: Im a financial noob, please help me! I have a 401k that I havent contributed to since May 2015, because I went back to school for other various reasons. I just now, in November 2017, made an online account to see more detailed breakdown of my 401k. Its through Empower Retirement.The results scared me. Can somebody please look at these numbers and tell me if such low growth rate is normal, when Ive heard the stock market is at an all time high? Perhaps because I have such little money in there?11102014 - 111020171.16 annualized rate of return3.52 cumulative rate of return.Bond Sector Diversification of AssetsCorporate Bonds... 47.10Other... 28.61Treasury Obligations... 6.80U.S. Agency... 5.96Asset Backed... 4.95Commercial MBS... 4.40Collateralized Debt Obligations... 1.73ResMtgBacked... 0.41Cash... 0.04For my balances: I left my company and last contributed to my companies 401k in May 2015. On 6302015, I had a balance of 8,941. On 11102017, I have a balance of 9,186. Thats 245 of growth, no contributions, in 2 years.Its in a 100 guaranteed portfolio fund, fixed asset class. I have 0 in equities and 100 in bonds. Theres a chart on here where I can choose other plans and if Im reading it correctly, there return rates are HUGE compared to my measly 1.5 per year return rates!Do these numbers look ok and if so why Low overall balance, asset allocation, ext and if not why asset allocation, ext.? Please help me reddit. I am lost.  <response>: Your portfolio is performing exactly how it should, for how youve invested it. The problem is that youve invested wrong. You say you are young, so you should be more like 90 equitys 10 bonds. The portfolio you are in, is for the following people. 1. People who have parked their money for whatever reason, and havent yet figured out how to invest it again.2. People are irrationally risk adverse and can not tolerate a single day of negative performance. You are only doing SLIGHTLY better than if you were just to keep it in a savings account. 