re: Should I continue to max out my 401K? I'm worried about it being raided one day

I hate politicians as much as anyone on this board, but they will never get their hands on your money unless you let them through the electoral process. I know the direction you're going, I just don't see the general public putting up with that type of shite - especially the key donor demographic in the Democratic party: Wall Street.

Now that we have that out of the way, I guess it depends on your alternative investment options. Real Estate will depend on the location and the stability of the local economy, amongst other things.....