 The truth is the numbers that you hear on the news are rarely the ones that you participate in. After fees, investment restrictions, and fund choices, most investment accounts never perform as good as the market. The truth is that your 2004 could actually be today. You don't know when the market is going to crash and turn your paper gains into real losses at the critical stage of your retirement. Unfortunately, many people find out way too late that protecting your money after the age of 45 should have been a priority.