Re: Roth IRA question

>1) should I really start putting regular
>contributions into a Roth IRA

Absolutely. The first thing you should always do is take advantage of your
employer's matching program because it's free money, and you can't beat that.
Once you've done that, max out your Roth IRA ($3,000 limit currently). The
reason for that is that it is tax-free upon withdrawal when you retire, as
opposed to a 401k, which is tax-deferred. So today you'll get taxed on your
money, then invest it in a Roth, and 35 years from now when you need it all the
gains are tax-free. Once you've done that, go back and contribute as much as
you can afford to your 401k again.