B E B E R E

Life is like a box of chocolates...

Virginia Postrel, in an article in Forbes Magazine, talks about the effects in an increase in choices, and how that could have implications in more user control of their retirement funds.

For the record, I am very pro choice in this matter. I was a benefits administrator in another human services organization, and one of my jobs was to explain to people from all walks of life (and sometimes in different languages) the basics of a 403(b) plan. It always made my day when I could convince someone that taking control and planning one's retirement, though a major responsibility, doesn't necessarily have to be rocket science. If empowered with knowledge and given the proper tools, any reasonably intelligent person can do a decent job of this, and most likely a better job than the government could do return-wise. Though I am by no stretch of the imagination a Libertarian (more of an -ibertarian, really. Am big into a government providing us with certain necessary services that would be financial losses in the private sector, thus making them possible rarities. I just want to see the organizations performing their functions more fiscally responsibly and efficiently.), personal empowerment tempered by a sense of personal responsibility is a huge turnon for me. Allowing people some control over a good portion of their future wherewithal (with some safety nets, of course) is a step in the right direction.