[bradknowles]

With respect, that will never happen.

The days of being able to "retire" went out the window, when companies stopped giving employees pensions, and they started offering 401k plans.

Then they decided to get rid of all the employees, and use exclusively contractors for whom they don't have to pay any benefits at all. No 401k for you!

[closeparen]

If your 401k isn’t earning enough returns to let you retire, neither is your employer’s pension fund, and it will become insolvent. The difference between pension and 401k is unlikely to be make-or-break, and when it is, it’s more likely to break the pensioner (corporate bankruptcy, taxpayer sticker-shock, etc).

[tcbawo]

Pensions are great when they work, but it's impossible to predict solvency at retirement age. It's one of the most under-reported financial travesties, but your pension can be taken away when you need it. Even the public pensions are targets these days.