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SAN FRANCISCO - Figuring out your 401(k) contribution level is never easy, and at the moment it may be harder still as workers must also cover rising health-plan contributions.

"We advise them to use the 401(k), even if they have to withdraw this money later on," said John Nersesian, managing director of wealth management services at Chicago-based Nuveen Investments. "We're trying to encourage the participant who would ordinarily say, `I'm not going to use a K,' to rethink this decision."

Those eligible for a Roth IRA and not receiving an employer match for the 401(k) should consider the Roth first, experts said. In a Roth IRA, the investment grows tax-free, not tax-deferred as in a 401(k).