The notion that an individual ought to have the right to control his or her life has been one of the most important philosophical tenants in American history. Our country was founded on freedom of choice, policies are made to protect it, and Supreme Court decisions are framed around it. Blood has been shed and ink has been spilt to defend an individual’s right to make choices because directing one’s own life and future is an important part of what it means to be human.

Some of the most important choices an individual can make are about his or her future: a person chooses where to attend school, what career path to pursue, with whom to start a family. Choices about one’s retirement are just as significant even if they are years away.

Under the current Social Security system, individuals have all the choices surrounding their retirement stripped away. The government chooses what to do with your tax dollars, and you can’t even decide the age at which you would like to retire to collect benefits. Personal Retirement Accounts enhance personal choice by allowing individuals to choose how to invest their savings for retirement, how their benefits will be paid to them, and they even have a choice after they die to leave their nest egg to charities, foundations, or their children and grandchildren.