Now that the shock has worn off--and we've all had a chance to absorb the idea that our trusty old IRAS and 401(k) accounts might be gobbled up by President Bush's radical savings proposals--it's a good time to get prepared by playing "what if." But first, a quick review: Bush wants to shelve dozens of types of tax-deferred accounts, from IRAS and 401(k)s to 529s (for college), and replace them with three much simpler animals:
--ERSAs (employer retirement savings accounts) would be employer-sponsored workplace accounts. Employees could kick in as much as $12,000 a year in pretax money (the best kind)...