I always tell people that if you can invest in a retirement account in your 20s, you'll have 50 years for it to increase in value. (And now with the stock mark

I always tell people that if you can invest in a retirement account in your 20s, you'll have 50 years for it to increase in value. (And now with the stock market down, you could even start off with a big bounce in the next recovery...) You can also withdraw from these retirement accounts early for first-home purchases and medical emergencies. And some employers will even match your contributions, which one financial advisor described to me as "free money."