Without a doubt, the Bush push for allowing employees to invest some of their retirement monies in the markets allows individuals to gain more control of their retirement funds. Working for two employers -- the U.S. Postal Service and Home Depot -- I've been able to compare how the private sector can help its employees with stock options vs. basically a closed-end retirement plan supported by Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Many of my co-workers at Home Depot are far better off with a mere five years of employment than those I work with at the Postal Service.