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This month, millions of Americans picked winners and losers in college basketball games, hoping to make money from wise bets.

But you can play for much higher stakes by placing sensible bets with your savings. If you wager well, you can have a much more comfortable retirement.

Economists, though, are making forecasts that make it tough to guess which way growth is going.

What's the best bet: protect your money by stuffing it into a mattress or invest in the stock market?