Now that your refund check from Uncle Sam is in your hand or on its way, what to do with it? First thing is to make sure it never happens again.

The National Endowment for Financial Education (nefe.org) says a big refund simply means you overpaid your taxes last year. If this year looks like last year, file a new W-4 form and increase the number of dependents.

But what to do with this year's check? If you're retired and still have a mortgage, NEFE says prepay some of the loan. If you have credit-card debt, use some of the refund to pay down the balance.

For more financial tips and advice on making your savings last a lifetime, go to NEFE's My Retirement Paycheck site (myretirementpaycheck.org).

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