Planning Tools

• Advantages of trusts
• How a grantor retained income trust (GRIT) works
• How an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) works
• How an irrevocable trust protects assets

FAQs

Estate and gift tax

• How can I determine what my business is worth for estate and gift tax purposes?
• How can I minimize taxes on my estate?
• How will estate taxes be paid if I leave no provision in my will?
• I intend to make tuition payments directly to my grandchild's college, and I know this will reduce my estate. But would it be better to contribute to a 529 plan instead?
• I just made a gift. Do I have to file a gift tax return?
• If I am the account owner when I die, will the value of my 529 account be included in my estate?
• The death benefit from insurance on my life will be paid to an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT). What if those funds are needed to pay my estate taxes?
• What is a family limited partnership, and will it help reduce estate taxes?
• What is the applicable exclusion amount?

Planning for incapacity

• What is an advanced directive for health care, and will it help me avoid court involvement during incapacity?
• What is the difference between a power of attorney and a durable power of attorney?

Government Benefits Articles

Medicare and Medicaid

• Coordinating long-term care insurance with government benefits
• Health insurance in retirement
• Medicaid and nursing home care
• Medicaid and the principal residence
• Medicaid planning basics
• Medicare

Social Security

• Social Security disability benefits
• Social Security retirement benefits
• Social Security survivor's benefits
• Understanding Social Security

Decision Tools

Medicare and Medicaid

• Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care
• Medicare figures at-a-glance
• Medicare, Medigap, and Medicaid

Social Security

• Disability income needs worksheet
• How earnings affect Social Security
• Social Security disability insurance (SSDI): awards and applications illustrator
• Social Security figures at-a-glance
• Sources of retirement income: filling the Social Security gap
• What are your chances of becoming disabled?

FAQs

Medicare and Medicaid

• How do I enroll in Medicare?
• How does Medicare Advantage work?
• I'm putting money into a 529 plan for my grandchild. But are the 529 assets subject to Medicaid spend-down requirements?
• I'm thinking about placing my mother in a nursing home. Will Medicaid pay for her care?
• If I'm covered by Medicare, should I have additional health insurance?

Social Security

• Are my Social Security benefits subject to income tax?
• How can I get an estimate of my Social Security benefits?
• How do I get disability benefits from Social Security?
• I'm getting remarried. How will this affect my Social Security benefits?
• Should I retire now at age 62 and collect Social Security benefits, or should I wait until age 65?

Personal Finance Articles

Buying a car

• ABCs of auto insurance
• Buying a car
• GAP insurance
• How safe is that new car?

Financial basics

• Establishing a budget
• Getting started: establishing a financial safety net
• Working with a financial advisor

Managing credit and debt

• Choosing a credit card
• Contemplating bankruptcy
• Credit traps for the unwary
• Debt consolidation
• How student loans inpact your credit
• Understanding your credit report

Decision Tools

Owning a home

• Homeowners insurance quiz
• How to save money on your homeowners insurance
• Is my home mortgage interest fully deductible?
• Less common mortgage options
• Mortgage payment calculator
• Popular types of mortgages
• Should you refinance your mortgage?

Saving, spending, and borrowing

• Consumer price index inflation calculator
• Credit cards--advantages vs. disadvantages
• Deciding which credit card to get
• Growth of annual deposits calculator
• Loan amortization calculator
• Net worth calculator
• Personal cash flow worksheet

FAQs

Bankruptcy

• Can I buy a house even though I declared bankruptcy?
• I can't pay my bills. Should I declare bankruptcy?
• What's the difference between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy?

Private mortgage insurance

• Can I use a piggyback mortgage as an alternative to private mortgage insurance?
• What's private mortgage insurance , and can my mortgage lender require me to have it?

Selling a home

• How do I figure the tax on the sale of my home?
• I'm having a hard time selling my home. Should I take out a reverse mortgage?
• I'm retired now and own my home outright, but I need money to live on. How can I use my home to raise some money without selling it?
• Should I sell or rent out my present home?

Retirement Planning Articles

Saving for retirement

• Annuities and retirement planning
• Borrowing or withdrawing money from your 401(k) plan
• Deciding what to do with your 401(k) plan when you change jobs
• Estimating your retirement income needs
• Retirement planning--the basics
• Taking advantage of employer-sponsored retirement plans
• Understanding IRAs
• What to do after you've been automatically enrolled in your company's retirement plan

Special Situations Articles

Career planning

• Evaluating a job offer
• Evaluating an early retirement offer
• Health insurance and COBRA: sometimes you can take it with you
• Receiving unemployment benefits

Divorce

• Dealing with divorce
• Health insurance and divorce
• Insurance concerns of divorcing couples

FAQs

Career planning

• I'll be changing jobs next month, and I'm pregnant. Will I qualify for health insurance coverage with my new employer?
• I'm getting laid off. How am I going to survive financially until I find another job?
• I'm looking for a job. How can I tell if an employer is offering a good insurance benefit package?
• If I leave my company, can I take my life insurance policy with me?
• If I leave my job, will I lose my employer-sponsored health insurance?
• If my employer goes out of business and discontinues its health insurance plan, am I still eligible for COBRA benefits?

Raising a family

• Can I take the tax credit for child care?
• Does it make sense financially for both me and my spouse to work after our child is born?
• How do I find quality child care?
• How do I pay for child care?
• My employer says that after my child is born, I have to come back in six weeks. But doesn't the law say that I'm entitled to three months of leave?
• Should I buy life insurance on my child?
• What is the difference between the child tax credit and the child and dependent care tax credit?
• When do I have to apply for a Social Security number for my newborn?
• Who should I name as guardian of my children in case my spouse and I should die at the same time?

Tax Planning Articles

General tax planning

• Am I having enough withheld?
• Choosing an income tax filing status
• Tax benefits of home ownership
• Tax planning for income
• Tax planning for the self-employed
• Year-end tax planning

Tax credits and deductions

• Education tax credits
• Personal deduction planning
• Qualifying for the home office deduction
• Understanding personal tax credits

FAQs

Taxes and child support/alimony

• Are alimony payments considered taxable income?
• What are the tax implications of child support payments?