Your company doesn’t match doesn’t mean there’s no tax break. There are several tax break out there for retirement account. The money you put away in 401k, regardless of match is tax deferred, that that in itself will help you in taxes. Then there’s Roth IRA, although you have to invest w/ after tax $, the $ you make from it is tax FREE. Like CB said, tax break means nothing if your asset is worth less than it was before. Here’s now low I think it’ll go, based on what happened the last cycle: I know someone who bought a 3bed/2bath house in Mira Mesa in 1998, their mortgage came out to be about $1000/month. At that same time, rent on a 2 bed/2bath apartment was $900/month. So, it it can happen before in 1998, in the midst of .com boom, it can happen again.