cash value life insurance would be horrible. just get an IRA, self funded, using low fee index funds or retirement year funds (i.e, 2040)

annuities or cash value life insurance would secure your retirement in the absence of a 401k.

you can put your bond allocation into ibonds (or even ee bonds, which have a guaranteed interest rate of 3.4% or so if you are will to hold them 20 years).

The income limit on a traditional IRA does not apply if neither DH nor you have access to a work-sponsored retirement plan. If you do, your DH is in a bit of a bind, but you could fully fund yours and then use a different investment vehicle for DH.

I believe so, and there are income phase-outs: http://taxes.about.com/od/deductionscredits/qt/traditional_ira.htm

so if you work and/or you both have some other source of income, you could be ineligible for the tax benefits.

DH works for an early phase start up, making $125K + bonus. They don't have a 401k set up. Are IRAs his only tax advantaged options?