Does the total balance of a 401k change at the same rate as the vested balance?

STEVEN F

There is ZERO connection between the % of employer contributions that are vested, and the balance of the account. Note: The employee contributions and earnings on the account are ALWAYS 100% vested from day 1.

Judy

total appreciation is the same. % vested goes up every year until it all is.

A Hunch

The total balance is the total balance. The vested balance is a portion of the total balance.

StephenWeinstein

Not necessarily. First, with some 401K plans, you can invested your contributions (which are all vested) differently from the employer contributions (which include all of the unvested balance and may not include some of the vested balance). Second, although your contributions are always vested, the employer contributions start off unvested and become vested over time, so vested balance should eventually increase to be the same as total balance.