Wow . This got responses fast . <| sep |> Should go back down within a few days . I ' d go ahead and sell any that went up an amount significant enough to make it worth it . <| sep |> Apparently you care . <| sep |> I think maybe our breakdown in communication comes from us using different definitions of the word law . Hope that helps . <| sep |> Not saying the USA is a true Democracy , saying how the phrase Of the people , for the people , by the people was used in creating it . Now stop going off track , and tell me how Socialism and Communism is the same <| sep |> Depends on the account . Most retirement accounts are 401 k ' s or IRA ' s which also come in two flavors . 401 k ' s you can put money into and your company may match some of it . You are not taxed on what you put into it so if I make 50 k and I put 10 k into my 401 k the government only taxes me as if I made 40 k that year . You do however pay taxes when you withdraw from it . You can pull your money out early but when you do you pay a 10 % penalty . When you are 59 . 5 years old you can pull money out without that penalty . One of the IRA ' s works in a similar fashion . The other you do not receive a tax deduction when you put money into the account , but in exchange you don ' t pay tax when you pull your money out . That ' s retirement in America . A complicated mess .