Which is best 401k , ira or mutual fund?

Generally speaking you should invest as follows:

Invest in your 401(k) up until the full match.

Invest in your Roth IRA up to the max

Go back to your 401(k) until your max

Invest in a taxable account.

You can get matching 401K from your employer, that's a greatest thing ever! Even for non-matching one yearly contribution for 401K is higher than for IRA. Mutual fond can be a regular account or some kind of IRA, these two are not exclusive. For retirement savings mutual funds seems to be more reasonable. Do your homework and pick a good one or you'll loose your money and time.

They all have their purpose. They all have advantages and disadvantages. I would say it all depends on what your investment goals are. You should look around www.cnnmoney.com. There are a ton of useful and informative articles to help you decide which route might be best for you. Personally, I have investments in all of them, plus government savings bonds, an online savings account, and a money market account. If you are still not sure after looking at some of the above mentioned articles, go to your bank and talk to an investment advisor. Typically, if you are a member of the bank, their advice and knowlege comes with very little to no charge. Good luck with your investing.
Kevin

depends on how old you are and if it's solely going to be used for your retirement.

in most cases a 401K is best because it generally offers a wider variety of investments no matter what your age.

mutual funds can be used for investments or retirement purposes. they generally have a great rate of return the first year or two but then the next 5-6 they can earn less than cd's and ira's

ira's are not bad but they don't earn a high rate of return. they generally earn current cd rates and sometimes those don't even earn the rate of inflation.

I personally invest in my 401K because with the age I am I can be more agressive in the stocks I select. My company also matches my contributions up to $1000 each year. You may want to look into what your company offers. Some even have financial planners that will help you get started and answer a lot of your questions. Regardless of what you select you should review your investments every 6 mo to 1 year to make sure you have a balanced portfolio

IRA stands for Individual retirement Account. A 401K is a type of IRA. An IRA is like a tax shelter for your investments. You don鈥檛 have to pay income taxes on the money when you put it into the 401K. You will however have to pay taxes when you withdraw it at retirement. The IRA (in this case a 401K plan) might be made up of different types of investments and could include mutual funds.

A 401(k) and an IRA are a kind of account defined by the tax code; originally, a tax-deferred account. Both a 401(k) and an IRA can now be a "Roth," meaning that if you keep your funds invested for 5 years and until age 59 1/2, the earnings are tax free (your contribution was after-tax). Either way, the 401(k) should be your first choice in order to get an employer match or profit sharing contribution. After that, if you have a long time for those earnings to accumulate, a Roth IRA is your next best choice.
A mutual fund is a kind of investment -- a commingled fund regulated by the SEC. Most 401(k) s use mutual funds as the form of investment. In an IRA, you have the choice of investing in a broader range of securities including mutual funds, stocks, bonds, CDs, etc.

Neither is really better than the other, although you have more control over an IRA. A 401 (k) usually comes with some financial backing from an employer. Both are beneficial, especially when used together. I would invest in all three on a regular basis.