They're keeping a lot of us tied down by controlling retirement savings. I know the market is shit right now, but it would send a big message if a bunch of Americans pulled money out of 401K-type retirement plans. My wife and I cashed in my 401K a couple months ago and paid off our home loan 8 years early. Obviously there will be a penalty for the early withdrawal but we're also going to save tens of thousands on interest payments on our home loan so I'm hoping we're close to breaking even on the transaction. We've begun to invest our monthly mortgage payment into ethical investments that we choose, which feels great.
It's possible they're tanking markets on purpose to keep people from cashing out of the system. They're hoping they can pull their Great Reset shenanigans and nobody will touch their money because we've been conditioned to ride out the lows. These 401K plans give big wads of our cash to the people who don't give a damn about us. Think about taking some of that control away from them.
Invest in commodities, such as groceries, supplies, defense, and then PMs if there's money left over. Pay off all debt, especially credit cards and any other debt that the interest can change on.
You'll be surprised at how much you can pack away once you get rid of debt. Also quit spending so much money on entertainment, vacations, restaurants, and bad habits. I haven't been on vacation or to a movie in years. I don't drink or smoke or use drugs, and I only eat in locally owned restaurants unless I have a really good coupon. We have no TV, so there's no cable or satellite bill. I can get all the news, information, and entertainment I want on the internet.
I was able to just walk away from work (went Galt) almost 20 years ago. Now my only work is yard work and a little computer work now and then. If you need more money, multiple side hustles are the way to go. I'd have a hard time listing all my different income streams right now. Many are small, but they add up.
My wife and I had retirement accounts almost 20 years ago, but we cashed out and spent the money on real assets, and repairs and upgrades to real assets.