lol I don't have enough for both and yes my questions are in part esoteric because I knew you'd be hopping by.
However a 401k can be invested in on your own if you're not in a company. But then it's the same as a regular IRA except it has a max of $15k vs the lesser.
So if you don't work for a company that offers a 401k what is the diff between the 401k and the IRA besides the cap? Both tax the same correct?