Retirement investment: Is there any way to invest in one specific stock as opposed to the portfolios?

I want to invest pretax dollars in deferred comp, but I want to pick the stock myself and not have these retirement companies decide how it's allocated... maybe a dumb question, but is this possible? Then I'd be able to invest in my favorite stock at 70 % of the actual cost.

Public Comments

1. If the company managing the 401 doesnt offer it, then no you cant. And usually the only single company you can invest in with a 401 K is the employer company stock. You should call the plan manager and ask if its an option (though I doubt it )
2. Open an IRA with brokerage & you can buy all the stocks you want. Up to 4k that is. Tho how would buy them at a 70% discount might be a little more difficult.
3. I would STRONGLY advise against this strategy!!! This would be the same as "putting all your eggs in one basket." What if something you don't expect happens to this company and the stock drops... say 75+% like Country wide has? If I were you, I would stick to the funds available in your employer's retirement program. Your best bet would be an index fund with the lowest fees you can find.
4. TJS is absolutely right! Do you remember Enron? A lot of their people loaded up on company stock. They're the ones who couldn't retire because the stock plunged and destroyed their savings. There is nothing wrong with buying some individual stock, but keep it to a small percentage of your overall investments. Diversify the rest of your money using mutual funds. I formerly received stock options from an employer and I routinely sold off stock when it became too high a proportion of my holdings.