[reality_czech]

OK, I've been trying to be nice here, but this is just too much. 7% annual returns in the stock market? Good luck with that, buddy. I'd be happy to get a guaranteed 4%, but I doubt it will happen. How about a team of unicorns to pull my coach to work every day?

Guess what: you are never going to have financial security unless you win the startup lottery. If you make 150k a year instead of 100k, the colleges you send your kid to will just charge you an extra 50k in tuition. The more you make, the more they charge. Great model, eh?

Middle class savings are ridiculously inadequate to modern expenses. Even a few days in the hospital could set you back hundreds of thousands of dollars if the bureaucrats at the insurance company decide it's not covered. In a divorce your partner will get half of the house, half of the money, and probably a permanent monthly stipend out of you (at least in California).

You're either one of the 1% or you're one of the poor. So take your chances and roll the dice. If you succeed you will be able to pursue whatever other dreams you want. If you fail, you'll just take the safe job at IBM like everyone else. Retirement is mostly a scam anyway and odds are none of the savings you've accumulated will mean squat when the big one drops / singularity hits / Sarah Palin becomes President-for-Life.