The expenses for institutional funds in a 401k are usually higher than publicly traded funds which exist in a more competitive marketplace.

Data to support your assertion please?

For the funds that the OP posted, here are the retail quoted expense ratios, along with a link where the retail expense ratio is listed:

                                     OP         M*       M* Link
BTC (BlackRock) LifePath 2025       0.14%      0.52%     http://quote.morningstar.com/fund/f.aspx?Country=USA&Sym...
PIMCO Total Return                  0.46%      1.65%     http://quote.morningstar.com/fund/f.aspx?t=PTTBX
Invesco Van Kampen Growth & Income  0.40%      0.83%     http://quote.morningstar.com/fund/f.aspx?Country=USA&Sym...

As you can see, all of the retail rates shown at Morningstar are higher than the rates the OP quoted.

To the OP: If you are trying to get lower expense ratios on the same funds that you have in your current 401(k) - probably won't happen in an IRA, unless you have millions to invest in order to get institutional rates. However, you do need to watch out for the possibility of your 401(k) administrator charging you fees in addition to the expense ratios. If that's happening, it could be that you would be better off in an IRA.

Additionally, if you are not happy with your fund choices in the 401(k), you may want to move to an IRA. If you are unhappy with your current expense ratios, be sure to find out what the expense ratios of the funds you want to move to are before you make your decision.

AJ