SAVE OR PAY OFF DEBT?

Which is better—maxing outyour retirement plan contributionsor using some of that money to payoff your mortgage faster? Consumersand financial planners wrestlewith this question a lot, but mostseem to come down on the side ofsaving. With today's low interestrates, you can refinance your 15- or30-year mortgage to get lower paymentsif you need more cash flow.Your retirement plan, on the otherhand, is your investment in yourfuture. Even though your plan maylook anemic after the market woesof the past 3 years, your contributionsare now buying more shares,which will mean bigger rewardswhen the market turns up again.