Looking to your IRA for a little ready cash? Keep in mind you'll have a tax bill to pay on much of it, if not the full amount -- and if you're under 59 1/2, there's a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty.
However, you can move the money from one IRA to another without penalty, say the tax experts at TaxCut.com. That allows you to shop for a fund that's paying a better return than the one you have now.
When looking at retirement savings, remember you can put more into a 401(k) -- up to $10,500 -- than into an IRA, which caps at $2,000. On top of that, of course, your company matches at least part of your contribution -- in most cases.
