401K with me or against me?

[Jim M.]

BP people,
Do any of you out there have any success or horror stories about pulling out of 401Ks and using those funds as self directed? Or, am I considering to purposefully step on a land mine and blow my nuts off with Tax burden, penalties and a shopping cart under a bridge? I see and research very conservative deals that have safety of principal much higher returns compared to the erosion I see with my 401 K. Like the man under the bridge...Is this crazy talk or is whats sane is a passive investment that does nothing but wait for me to wake up and die. Whats wrong is I do not know whats right.

Jim Mackel