Today Money financial expert David Bach joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday to answer your questions.

Here’s one of his answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A and video of David’s TV appearance this morning.)

One chat guest asked:

“Hi David, Where do you stand on the debate between paying off your mortgage early vs. getting a big, long mortgage, never paying it off and using the extra money to invest?”

David replied:

“Love this question. I think you are better off to pay that mortgage off early. Less debt means more freedom. I wrote a new book this year called Debt Free For Life, and the entire goal and mission of this book is to help you buy back your freedom. Paying off your home early can save you tens of thousands of dollars in interest, and often upwards of six figures if you have a big mortgage. Good luck!”

Here’s the full chat archive and David’s TV appearance:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here.

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Collin Morgan, the coupon-savvy mom behind Hip2Save.com, joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday to answer your questions.

Here’s one of her answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A.)

Nina asked:

“Hi Collin. I have tried couponing many times and have failed. I always end up spending more and buying a bunch of stuff I don't need. I don't want a cupboard full of energy drinks or junk food. How can I get better at this (and not just for groceries)? I know many retailers have coupons. I always seem to be disorganized and always miss out. Any suggestions?”

Collin replied:

“Definitely take baby steps and let yourself get the hang of it first. You will learn quickly that you can save a tremendous amount of money on personal care products ... possibly getting some FREE, which in turn will allow you to spend more money in the grocery department.”

Here’s the full chat archive:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here. 

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Today Money financial expert Carmen Wong Ulrich joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday to answer your questions.

Here’s one of her answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A and video of Carmen’s TV appearance this morning.)

John asked:

“I have two mortgages, crushing credit card and loan debt, and my daughter is starting college in the fall via subsidized, unsubsidized, PLUS loans and some scholarship. Would it be smart to use my $150k in my 401(k) to get rid of a big chunk of this debt? I'm 53.”

Carmen replied:

“Oh John, Nooooo! Pretty please don't touch that 401k. Even in bankruptcy that money is protected. Continue to protect it. That's your future. Plus, if you just pull the funds you'll end up losing nearly 1/2 to taxes and penalties. Instead, let your daughter keep on what she's doing and you can focus on your debt. Have you talked to a non-profit credit counselor? Do that (go to NFCC.org) and see what your options are. But, promise me to keep that 401k right where it is ;-)”

Here’s the full chat archive and Carmen’s TV appearance:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here. 

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TODAY Money financial expert Jean Chatzky joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday to answer your questions.

Here’s one of her answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A and video of Jean’s appearance on TODAY Wednesday morning.)

Laura asked:

“Since the market dropped, I cut back on my contribution to my 401K. Do you think it's a good idea to contribute to an IRA or a Roth IRA with any extra money I have?”

Jean replied:

“I don’t understand why you would do that. A 401(k), typically, is an account where you are allowed to invest the money in a menu of choices. You could move the money around -- but not contributing doesn't make sense to me. Also, the fall in the market is precisely the wrong reason to scale back contributions (unless you need the money in the short term), it's a way to buy low so that later you can sell high.”

Here’s the full chat archive:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here.

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TODAY

TODAY Money expert and CNBC personal finance correspondent Sharon Epperson joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday morning after the show's Money 911 segment.

Here's one of her answers from the chat and a complete archive:

Evan's question:
Hi! I'm 14 years old. I have savings bonds that I will receive when I'm 18 and was wondering how I should spend those or should I save them for college and other things. 

Sharon's answer:
You're only 14!! I am sooo excited that you have joined our chat and are interested in finding out the best way to save your money for the future. 

You are on the right track and you probably can guess my answer: SAVE, SAVE, SAVE.

When you get that money at 18, use it for college or invest it in a 529 college savings plan for a few years and then use it to pay for the last year or two of your education.

Complete archive:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here.

To sign up for an e-mail reminder for our next chat, click here.

Watch the complete Money 911 segment below:

On Thursday, msnbc.com Senior Producer John Schoen took your questions on the debt ceiling impasse going on in D.C. A sample question, followed by the full transcript, is below.

Carrie: If they don't cut a deal, would it raise credit card rates?

John Schoen: Yes, though it’s not clear just how much rates would go up. Investors would want a higher return to buy US debt because it would be riskier to hold. Those higher rates raise the cost of all forms of borrowing, including credit cards, mortgages car loans etc.

Today Money financial expert Carmen Wong Ulrich joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday to answer your questions.

Here’s one of her answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A and video of Carmen’s TV appearance this morning.)

Marsha asked:

“Carmen, I have been getting phone calls about refinancing my home mortgage under a Federal program... is this a legal program or a scam? I'd really like to refinance, but my bank said I am not able to with them.”

Carmen replied:

“Marsha -- a great question. I can't tell for sure it's a scam without a name but, chances are, I'd stay away from folks who approach you by phone. Instead, shop around at a site like Bankrate.com to see who's offering what rates with mortgages -- if you have great credit and ample equity, you shouldn't have to pay 6 percent right now. It helps if you have a great relationship already with another bank, say, where you have your cash savings or credit cards. Approach them and be proactive instead of taking calls. Best of luck! Smart move.”

Here’s the full chat archive:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here.

To sign up for an e-mail reminder for our next chat, click here.

Eve Tahmincioglu, msnbc.com’s careers columnist, joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday to discuss how best to deal with a bad boss.

(Eve’s column on bad bosses appeared earlier this week on msnbc.com.)

Here’s one of her answers to questions from the live chat. See below for the full Q&A.

Patrick asked:
“Is it smart to complain to upper management about a bad boss? Especially in this economic climate? I'm afraid if I say anything I'll lose my job.”

Eve replied:
“If you get nowhere with your boss and you really want things to change, your only option, other than leaving, is going above your manager's head. This is indeed risky, but there are ways to do it without getting everyone angry.”

Here’s the full chat archive: 

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here.

To sign up for an e-mail reminder for our next chat, click here.

TODAY Money expert Alexa von Tobel joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday morning after the show's Money 911 segment.

Here’s one of her answers to questions from the live chat. See below for the full Q&A and video of the Money 911 segment.

Shirley asked:

"Good Morning, I'm 47, with a 15yr old daughter and have lost everything with that I mean I have no savings, some debt, no child support, nothing for retirement. I’m a currently unemployed with small amount coming from unemployment but on the hunt. How can I start over and what would be my best option. I hear about Roth IRA but I have no clue what it is or where to get one. Please advise me how best to plan for a brighter future Thank you."

Alexa von Tobel replied:

"Hi Shirley! It sounds like the best thing for you to focus on is finding a new job that will pay the bills. I want you diligently hunting for a full-time or 2 part time jobs that can help you bring in more money. That's the most important thing you can do right now."

Here's the complete archive:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here.

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TODAY

TODAY Money expert David Bach, author of the book "Debt Free for Life," joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday morning after the show's Money 911 segment.

Here are two of his answers to questions from the live chat. See below for the full Q&A and video of the Money 911 segment.

Jessica's question:
Hi David! My husband and I are both in our early 40's and have no real savings or retirement money set aside. Is it too late? What type of accounts should we have besides our employer's 401(k) plans? 

David's answer:
Of course it’s not too late! I wrote a book called Start Late Finish Rich, because this is the number one question I get every single day. It's only too late if you don't get started. 

The first thing you need to do is pay yourself the first 15 percent of your gross income into your 401(k) plans. This will help you catch up.

You also need to start building an emergency account, and then focus on saving for a home. Sounds like a lot but you can do this, and you can get started today.

Michelle's question:
Good Morning! I am a teacher who currently does not have a summer job. I have about $18,000 in credit card debt. Any suggestions on how to get my debt down? The interest is killing me. 

David's answer:
Michelle, my best advice is to work this summer -- go find that summer job. I know they are hard to find, but there has to be something out there you can do (even if it's babysitting). Your best bet to pay down debt is to earn more money and then use it to pay down your debt. 

I would try also and see if you can transfer high interest rate credit card debt to a lower interest rate card. Go to a website like CreditCard.com or Credit.com and review other offers, but read the fine print on transfer fees. You can also try and renegotiate with your current credit cards.

I cover all of this in detail in Debt Free For Life, which you can get details on at FinishRich.com. Good luck!

Complete archive:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here.

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Watch this week's Money 911 segment:

TODAY Money writer John Schoen joined us for a live Web chat Friday afternoon about the state of the economy.

"The mood appears to be worsening, leading to a concern among economists and others of a self-fulfilling prophecy -- that worried consumers will slow spending, further hampering the recovery and perhaps raising the risk of a double-dip recession or at least yielding years of sluggish growth," John wrote in the intro of the chat. Read John's full article on the subject here: http://on.today.com/kcdptM

Here are two questions from his chat and the complete archive:

Barbara H.'s question:
It does seem to me that the quickest way to get the economy going again is to have a strong housing market. That seems very problematic at this time.

John's answer:
Housing is definitely a major roadblock. Since the 1930s, we haven't had an economic recovery without a housing revival. The problem is that the process of mortgage defaults and foreclosures is playing out in slow motion - until the large supply of foreclosed homes comes down, housing will remain stuck in recession. If we could figure out how to prevent those defaults and keep people in their homes, we could speed up that process.

Jacky Lai's question:
If the economy is not productive and if people do not have enough money in hands, what is the next step and solution?

John's answer:
The economy is growing - it's just not growing fast enough.

It's worth taking a minute to drill down on the word "recession." Many readers use the word loosely to describe a lousy economy - jobs are hard to get, house prices are falling, wages aren't rising. That's fine. But we use it more narrowly - if the economy is expanding quarter after quarter, that's not a recession. (The economy is not "receding.") Today we have both of those conditions - very slow growth that's not coming fast enough and can't put enough people back to work nor get the housing market off the bottom.

It's also important to recognize that the U.S. economy is a $15 trillion machine with a lot of moving parts. Some of those - like housing - are still in a deep recession. Many small businesses are still seeing business dry up. So when growth is this weak, parts of the economy - or regions of the country - can be in recession even though the entire economy is moving ahead slowly.

Complete archive:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, click here.

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TODAY Money's Allison Linn live chatted Wednesday about home finance and had readers share their tips for saving in tight times.

Here are two questions from her chat and the complete archive:

Linda: What are your suggestions for teaching young kids about money?

Allison: Great question. There are lots of different philosophies about teaching kids about money, and you really need to decide what is right for your family when it comes to things like allowances, summer jobs, etc. But I think the most important thing you can do to teach your kids about money is model good financial behavior.

If you show your kids that you are careful about making big ticket purchases, or talk to them about the price of off-season produce at the grocery store, those lessons will stick.

Bob C.: I read your story about outfits like Groupon. You seemed a bit lukewarm on them. But don't they save you money?

Allison: From what I've seen and heard from readers, Groupon-type coupons can really save you money if you were already planning to go to that restaurant or really wanted to try that skydiving excursion. Where you can get in trouble is if you spend $100 on $200 worth of yoga - but find out after one class you hate yoga. You should also make sure you know the rules of the coupon.