<prompt> Human: Sorry, dont know the word Im thinking of, but let me explain. Say I start one now 27 and I get to my retirement age and decide to withdraw. You pay feestaxes on the money you finally get back. Will the fees ever be so drastic that you barely gain your money back, and actually fail to break even after feestaxes? Some people told me not to start a retirement account because your giving money to a business NOW with no promise of getting anything substantial later.I havent met anyone who successfully retired in my area that didnt already have a financially successful family, so I came here.Any of you ever retire on a Roth or regular IRA? Did it work? Was it a waste of time and money that couldve been better used elsewhere?  <response>: You should read the wiki. The long story short is investing for retirement is key to having the income you will need to live comfortably once you stop working. An IRA is one of many tools you can use to save and invest toward that goal, and yes, it works for many people. 