Your posts are all over the place. It seems you don't know what you are saving for.
If the money is for retirement (FIRE), then the money is best put into tax advantaged accounts.
If you are going to need the money in 1-2 years, then by definition it is not meant for retirement. Therefore you should not be putting any of this money into retirement accounts.
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rpr, I'm not sure if you're referring to me or to veloman, who started this thread. I chimed in because it seems that he and I have similar reasons for not maxing out our 401k/403b accounts... which have to do with wanting flexibility. I don't think either of us have been "all over the place," having just gone back and re-read them.
Ah... I might see where the confusion came in. My "1-2 years" was talking about the timeframe for accessing the money, not time from today. SEPP or Roth conversion ladders move the money slowly. But what if, 5 or 15 or 25 years from now, you wanted to get at a good chunk of it quickly? Say, over the course of a year or two, because you're starting a new business? That money isn't accessible quickly, from what I understand, without paying the penalties. That's what I was referring to. Sorry if I was unclear.
Sorry, to confuse between you and the OP and for my misunderstanding.
If you need the money for retirement needs, i.e. to live on, assuming that you are no longer working, then it is best to put the money in the usual tax advantaged options available to you such as 401K, IRA etc. As others have added, some planning is needed if you want to access this before age 59.5.
But, if you need the money for other purposes, such as starting a business etc., then by DEFINITION, this money is not for retirement. Then save in your Taxable account for this purpose. You have earmarked this money for other needs and not for retirement.
Always, remember what you need the money for. Make a plan. I agree with others -- if you have earmarked money for retirement, then do not withdraw it to fund businesses.
There are some people for whom the concept of having the money in retirement accounts with access controls makes them very nervous. If you are among them, then feel free to save in standard taxable accounts. There is nothing wrong with this approach. Just keep in mind that you may need to save a little more 10-20% to compensate for the fact that you have to pay more in taxes in order to have this flexibility.
That said, there may be a certain category of investor who is currently (and expects to be in the future) in the 15% marginal tax bracket for whom it may be beneficial to save in taxable accounts with 0% rate qualified dividends and capital gains. I have not explored this option much as I am not in this category :)