SS,  My 401Ks were extremely lucrative for us because I learned some basic investing rules. Our traditional IRA were right for us at the time but we have been converting them to Roth IRAs for about 16 years and will have the conversions completed in another 2-3 years. Back to those basic investing rules I learned on my own by reading and watching shows like the "Nightly Business Report" on PBS. My taxable investments have also been very lucrative for us. Here is one "aha investment moment" for me that I will gladly share with everyone, "Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRP)". If the one you're researching charges you ANY fees, move on, you can find a better DRP. Some DRPs will even give you up to a 5% discount on stock purchases. Wealth accumulation is a life long and long term process for the vast, vast majority of us. I never took a business or investing class beyond what was required of me to graduate from Willamette High School.

Freedom can be a scary thing for individuals.