For most individuals hot on making their dismal 401(k)s a little more lively, the "day trading" might just simply involve moving some money between mutual fund accounts, trying to search for the best deal and hoping to maximize on the return.

But some people have become super-aggressive about building their pot of cash, as quickly as possible. One software engineer – who seems like a plausible sort to do this kind of thing – said he day trades on the holdings in his three retirement accounts, every day.

Another young investor, hoping to shore up his retirement fund, does more than a dozen trades a month between conservative mutual funds and his company's own stock.

He's been taking advantage of those infrequently (at least among participants) discussed brokerage windows, which do allow the particularly motivated the opportunity to have more ready access to their 401(k) funds.

They tend to be the kind of people who would probably E-Trade all day long, anyhow, and Charles Schwab says those who do it with their retirement holdings tend to make more than 20 transactions a year.

And just how does this potentially risky proposition go over when explained to one's spouse? One of the article's interviews explains: "When I told my wife about it she was really nervous … until I educated her on what it all entails and how poorly the 401(k) was performing before that. She's still not 100 percent behind it but she said, "Just don't lose everything. I'll divorce you if you do."

Is it a sound strategy? Hard to tell. Everyone profiled in the story admits they're not necessarily betting their entire nest egg (whatever that means nowadays) on the market and are in fact just using a portion to try to use in a bold fashion.

As those ol' disclosure statements start to hit the mail later this year, it's an option that some folks may start to consider – unless advisors can demonstrate that they're able to make better and safer choices on participants' behalf.