The 401(k) has become the main retirement planning vehicle for most Americans. But truth be told, most people really don’t know that much about picking among the myriad of funds offered by a typical plan. And in today’s volatile market, this can lead to costly mistakes.

Pension experts have for years worried that the typical 401(k) emphasizes investing over actual retirement planning — setting a goal and working backwards to find suitable investments. Enter managed 401(k) plans, where instead of a menu of funds, participants are asked questions about their age, current savings and retirement income goals. The plan then develops a customized portfolio for each participant’s specific situation.

Managed 401(k)s, which attempt to take some of the guesswork out of retirement planning, are offered by more and more employers. Ask yours whether they plan to offer one, or better, already do.