For the past decade or two, with the growth of IRA retirement accounts and employer-sponsored 401(K) accounts, more and more people are saving for retirement using these vehicles. It’s widely assumed that Social Security will not provide enough money to live in a style to which many people have grown accustomed, and a way to save tax-free for the future is to open a retirement account. Subject to IRA tax rules, you can invest pre-tax dollars, or in the case of a Roth IRA, after tax dollars, and have the funds grow until you are eligible to withdraw in retirement.