What Peter Thiel's Roth IRA Means for Yours

[question everything]

5. IRAs and 401K ended up replacing the disappearing pensions.

If one got a new job - which we ended up doing too many times - we often had to wait a year or so before we could start to contribute to 401K. So we opened IRAs instead. Dodge & Cox Stock did a fantastic jobs. When we left the jobs and the amount was not worth it to keep with the former employers, we rolled the 401K to the IRAs.

When I was not working, I could still contribute to IRA as a "non working spouse."

Some years back 401Ks left with a former employers were treated differently, I don't remember exactly. So we rolled them over to IRAs with Vanguard (this is where they were held, anyway.)

So I disagree with your statement that "IRAs are a Republican policy." Had we not have iRAs throughout the years, we would not be able to retire now