@fanfare wrote:
10 years is a long time in the stock market.
Yes, but as I said, the taxpayer may have some other use for the money. For example, suppose the contributions were $10,000 and the current value is $5,000. The account might regain its value (or more) over 10 years, depending on how it is invested. But, the taxpayer might believe they have a higher priority use for the $5,000 now. Most financial experts would say that to build wealth, the taxpayer should leave the money in the tax-deferred account as long as possible. But the taxpayer may have other priorities.
