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Although starting young with an IRA will do wonders (consider how much $2,000, growing tax free/deferred at 8% over 40 years will look like....now think of doing this every year for the first 10 years, stopping at 30, and just letting it sit there.....) it does tie up your money.
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Don't be unreasonable. The best long-term after-inflation returns I've seen from "generic" investment strategies are in the 3-5% range. And if you aren't playing with inflation-adjusted dollars, you are cheating.
Are American non-Roth IRA's simular to RRSP's in Canada?
Description of Canadian RRSP's:
RRSP's in Canada don't get taxed as they grow. You get a tax deduction when you put money into them, and you pay taxes on them when you take the money out. Investments allowed in an RRSP are restricted somewhat (so you can't "invest" in a car you drive around).
There is a limit on how much money you can put into your RRSPs as a fraction of your income, and a hard annual cap as well. You can carry over RRSP room from year to year until you use it. Removing money from an RRSP does not give you the contribution room back, and it is taxed as income.