[stewiecat]

Retirement savings is the longest-term of all long-term investments.

My 401K got torn to pieces during this recession. My first reaction was "How can I buy more?". That's when I started maxing out the 401K and buying additional stock in the form of index funds. Those actions have made my personal recovery from the market plummet much quicker with the upside that I now own stock with a lower dollar-cost-average.

[tastybites]

If I didn't lose my job things would have been different - I possibly would have bought more.

But remove that cashflow and the options start to dwindle.

[georgieporgie]

Even without a job, I contributed what I could to an IRA. The $1500 I contributed in 2009 was roughly equivalent to $3000 contributed in 2007...