<prompt> Human: Okay, obviously, Im putting in up to my employer match. Thats a lot of money to leave on the table.But, I am planning to retire much before sixty. Im 24. I invest in real estate, buy-and-hold stocks via a Scottrade account, and position trade Forex. My employer match 401k all funnels in to a default Fidelity mutual fund.It seems to be standard advice here to throw everything in to 401ks or IRAs and is the top comment here , and Im really not understanding this. Dont 401ks lock up the money until you are in your sixties? What if I have no intention of working for forty more years?Can you imagine having enough savings to retire on the income from bondsdividends but not being able to because you cant access your savings?  <response>: Im assuming you plan to live past 60. You can retire at 50, use accumulated wealth to spend between 50 and 60, then once you hit 60 you start withdrawing from tax-advantaged accounts. The only reason NOT to have a 401k and IRA as part of your retirement plan is if you plan to die before 59-12. 