[RidgeRunner]

Wage freeze in the private sector here since 2006. Salary is less than a starting teacher here in FL and there are few benefits. It would be impossible to make it without a second income. So I can't listen to too much complaining from public sector employees. You don't have to look far to find someone else worse off so we are grateful to have a job and keep plugging.

IMO the best thing about 401k is the match, second best is allowing the contributions to be invested however you want.LOL... No investment tool is as nice as the company matching your contribution.
My Putnum IRA was such a POS. It lost big during Clinton (.com bubble), Bush (thanks to 9/11) then later with Bush and Obama, finally bailed out paying the penalty with less than I started with.(and that was before the penalty) We have all been duped..
How can you get ahead when inflation is in double digits (I know it isn't advertised as such but it is and it compounds) and your safe money is only earning you 1 or 2 percent?? Meanwhile the FED keeps printing the stuff so they can reduce the burden on paying back China.. One thing the volatility in the markets has taught me, it is all smoke and mirrors. Being told the market will come back while govt. spending is out of control just ain't cutting it. I tightened my belt, the best leaders are the ones that lead by example.. Without the Tea Party rolling back spending, who else is gonna do it?

Three boxes for Democracy - Soap, Ballot, Ammo.