Should I pay down my credit card loans or invest in an IRA?

This is not a simple question and the answer can vary depending on your other financial circumstances. As a general rule, I'd say do a little of each. If you focus only on paying down credit card debt, you lose some of the tax advantages of investing in an IRA. You also may fall back into credit card debt again and never invest in IRAs. If you only invest in an IRA, the credit card interest you will pay will make it much harder to save enough in your IRA.