Also, if you are in the United States, you know that retirement account you thought you had? Perhaps now would be a good time to cash out and go physical instead of one's and zero's...!
I think that you know that is easier said than done. For most people, the tax consequences alone of early withdrawal results in most people delaying such a decision. My wife would never let me do any such thing, until the day that I can show her that it's already happening to others, by which time it will probably be too late. The only thing that I can realisticly do is take out a "loan" against it, for which I can only get half of the nominal value and I have to pay back.
Well I have no idea what the US is going to do with the 401k accounts because that is basically your money. It is merely an account on which you haven't paid taxes yet and you can invest yourself. I know the US have expropriated money before but still.
The European situation (mine) is much worse. Our pension funds are large (well hopefully) funds of money in which it is indistinguishable which money is whose. Further we don't get to choose what to invest in, cannot choose which pension fund we use, cannot withdraw early and are forced to participate through collective labour agreements. Basically people that receive pension now are paid with the new money coming in. How do we call that again? Oh yes a pension, err sorry a ponzi scheme.
Luckily thus far I haven't much money in this pyramid scheme as I have worked mostly for small companies without collective labour agreements and therefore could reduce these payments to the legal minimum. This will not continue unless I start a business. I see this is an extra taxation and have mentally said farewell to the cash already. I much rather pay income taxes now and receive some of the money than lose it all. I wish we had 401ks.
BTW: This is also a very good reason to marry with a premarital agreement. Choose what to do with your own money. Being forced by someone that you love dearly but uneducated (indoctrinated?) to make a foolish decision is unnecessary. Even so, with the knowledge I have available I can't say I would be thrilled to plunder my 401k if I were you.