you didn't get many views and my vote is too late to make much of a difference but I like the way you think. I dont think 401K is a failure btw. It has made the mutual fund industry very rich :). when I first came to this country i couldn't believe that you had a pension plus social security plus 401K. The problem is that companies have quit offering pensions and 401s were never intended to be the whole plan. Still I will take free money even that it comes with limits but i don't rely on it being my only retirement plan.