As Open Enrollment Approaches, Do a Benefit Checkup
With the pressures we face on the job, very few of us think about reviewing every benefit we get from our employers – unless something goes haywire.

Household Budgeting Tips From Financial Planners
Financial planners regard a household budget as central to building wealth and creating a financially secure life. Here are a handful of tips that many CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals use with their clients.

A 529 Primer: A Tax-Advantaged College Savings Option Just Got Better
529 college savings plans were a good idea from the start, but severely hobbled by a yearend 2010 expiration date for the tax-free withdrawals that made the plans so attractive.

Families Need to Check Prepaid Tuition Plans Carefully
It was beginning to look too good for families saving for college, and maybe it was.

Getting the Kids Involved in Saving for College
The World War II generation got a taste of higher education through the G.I. Bill and made it a point to supplement or pay their kids’ tuition.  It was a struggle, but a far more manageable one than it is in this day and age.  Figures from the University of Texas last year showed that since the 1960s, the price of a public higher education has risen from about 5 percent of median family income to more than 17 percent today.

Based on the current pace, that number could rise to 30 percent of median family income by 2020.  Private universities could approach 50 percent.

What You Can Do Correct Costly Inaccurate Credit Reports Budgeting
Credit reports reflecting your credit history are wrong more often than you may realize, and those inaccuracies could cost you higher mortgage payments, denial of credit, higher insurance rates or denial of coverage, and even denial of a job. But you can correct and minimize these mistakes, and potentially save yourself a lot of money, say CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals.

Financial Planners Offer Tips For Avoiding Identity Theft
With identity theft on the rise, many planners are beginning to advise their clients about ways to avoid this potentially disastrous financial problem. Here are nine tips offered by members of the Financial Planning Association.

Caring for Aging Parents Living Far Away
Caring for an aging parent is difficult under any circumstances. But it is especially challenging, stressful, and costly for children whose parents live far away.

Financial Plannning For A Loved One With Alzheimer's
The recent death of President Ronald Reagan following his ten-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease is a powerful reminder of the need to prepare financially for the care of a chronically or terminally ill loved one.

Be In Charge Of Your Aging
When financial planners talk about the importance of “envisioning” one’s retirement, most people think of the fun stuff they want to do: travel, tennis or golf, moving to a vacation spot, visiting grandchildren and friends, gardening, reading, doing volunteer work, or even taking on part-time paid work they’ve always wanted to do.

What Financial Documents To Take In An Emergency
Most of you have probably seen television images of long lines of cars clogging the highways of Florida, Louisiana, and other southeast coastal regions as people flee the seemingly endless parade of hurricanes. Imagine yourself in their place with orders to evacuate because of an approaching forest fire, rising floodwaters, or a terrorism alert.

Rewind: If You Had the Time to Plan for a Sudden Serious Illness or Death in the Family, What Would You Do?
Rewind is an occasional Financial Planning Perspectives feature that deals with an emergency or a sudden event as if your readers had the proper time and resources to plan for it. In reality, we all do – if we devote time to thinking about it when all is well.

Plan To Take Advantage of Casualty Losses
Victims of disasters such as the 2004 Florida hurricanes, or personal disasters such as a home fire, often can recover some of their out-of-pocket losses by claiming a casualty loss deduction on their federal tax return. And for some eligible victims, a an often-overlooked tax break can boost the size of the deduction.

Make Estate Plans To Benefit Yourself And Your Loved Ones
Judging by how little estate planning Americans do, they apparently don’t mind making life difficult for themselves and their loved ones.

Pros And Cons Of Prepaying Your Funeral
Preplanning your own funeral, while difficult for most of us, can help ease the emotional and financial burden for your survivors at a stressful time. But should you pay in advance for your funeral?

Tips for taming rising health care cost
Many Americans are getting sick watching their health-care expenses skyrocket. But there are steps you can take to blunt rising costs.

Felt the Pinch From Your Adjustable Rate Mortgage Yet? Be Ready for the Moment You Will
The Federal Reserve has taken what many believe is a temporary pause in the interest rate hikes it began back in 2003.  But that won’t be much comfort to mortgage holders who signed up for adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) set to readjust this year, particularly those who signed on for interest-only mortgages.

When 'Fun' Gambling Becomes Problem Gambling
As March Madness approaches, thoughts turn to college basketball…and the billions that will be won and lost – mostly lost -- betting on the NCAA Basketball Championship tournament.

Many Homeowners Should Consider Flood Insurance
If your car floats away in a flood, its loss will probably be covered by insurance. But if your home floats away in a flood, it won’t be covered by insurance—unless you’ve specifically bought flood insurance.

What To Look For In An Income-Protection Insurance Policy
Households frequently overlook buying individual disability insurance, which replaces a portion of employment income lost due to a long-term illness or disability. Yet, as the Insurance Information Institute points out, the average worker at age 40 has a 21 percent chance of being disabled at least 90 days or longer before age 65, versus a 14 percent chance of dying.

Should You Abandon Mutual Funds
Are you thinking about bailing out of specific mutual funds because they’re under investigation—or even abandoning mutual funds altogether? While CERTIFIED  FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals are just as angry as fund investors by the revelations, they caution investors against making rash moves that might potentially damage their personal finances even more than losses from the funds themselves.

Tips for Minimizing Irrational Investing Behavior
As an investor, the odds are that you are your own worst enemy.

Be Careful of Pitfalls of Consolidating Loans
With interest rates at rock bottom, many consumers are consolidating their higher-interest loans, especially credit cards. Consolidation can be a good strategy, but it also can cost far more in interest charges and even bad credit if you’re not careful, caution CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals.

Time to Take An Interest In Rising Interest Rates
It was only a tiny change—a quarter of a percentage point. But it signaled that it’s time for consumers to start paying closer attention to rising interest rates and make adjustments in how they manage their personal finances.

Military Personnel And Short-Term Homeowners May Get Tax Break From Sale of Home
Military families and homeowners who live in their home fewer than a total of two years before selling it still may qualify for a valuable tax break under some circumstances, according to final rules issued by the Internal Revenue Service.

Pros And Cons Of Separately Managed Accounts
Stung by poor performance and the scandals, some mutual fund investors are turning to an investment vehicle already popular among the nation’s wealthiest:  separately managed accounts. But these types of accounts are not right for many investors, so consider their pros and cons carefully before deciding whether to abandon mutual funds. 

Start a New Summer Tradition: the Mid-year Financial Checkup
No, it’s not exactly like a day at the beach, but a midyear review of your tax situation, retirement and spending issues can be far more valuable than the rushed attempt most people make at the end of the year.

Summer is a great time to review finances because things at work and home may be slower and if you’ve fallen behind on savings or haven’t checked your spending habits in a while, you can work to correct the problem during the second half of the year.  Here are the big issues to tackle:

Mr. and Mrs. Finances for Newlyweds
Let’s see, you’ve got the wedding chapel and the caterer booked, the dress selected, the cake designed, the wedding invitations mailed, vows written, finances talked about—oops, didn’t do the last item?

Second Time Around: Special Financial Issues for Remarriage
Are you planning to remarry? If so, you might consider saying “I do” in front of a financial planner as well as the minister.

Can You Afford to Live with a Pet? Plan Before You Purchase or Adopt
The animal shelters of this country are full of abandoned pets that weren’t fully considered before they were brought home. Pet ownership is truly a labor of love, but just like having kids, there’s a money aspect to every area of that commitment. Here are some important money issues to consider before you bring home a pet:

As Rates Rise, Tapping Home Equity Gets Riskier - How To Recover
During that floating cocktail party that was the 1990s, people weren’t all that worried about tapping their home equity to pay off bills or perform home improvements. Inflation was in check, investments and wages were still on the rise and recession hadn’t yet dampened the job picture.

Smart Ways To Refinance
As the candy and flowers keep trickling in for our new Fed chief, it’s possible he might not return the favor. In his first Congressional testimony Feb. 15, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the economy had snapped out of a yearend lull, but as a result, rising inflation – and rising interest rates – might still happen.

Get Ready for 401(k) Retirement Advice at Work, But Be Prepared to Ask Questions
For the last two decades, employees in self-directed retirement plans like 401(k)s have had to largely go it alone for advice on the investment choices offered within the company’s plan. 

Are You Asking The Right Questions About Retirement?
Preparing to retire ain’t just a numbers game.

Americans Need To Better Prepare For Rising Social Security Retirement Age
Many Americans still don’t know that the age at which they’ll be eligible for full Social Security retirement benefits is rising, and that their lack of knowledge could undermine their retirement plans.

Postponing Retirement May Not Be In The Cards For Everyone
Are you having second thoughts about retiring early? Figure you’ll need to keep working later than you dreamed because you can’t afford to retire yet? Or think you may need to work at least part time during your retirement years?

Conversion of an IRA to a Roth IRA Needs Careful Study
Right now, anyone with an adjusted gross income of less than $100,000 a year can convert a traditional IRA account to a Roth IRA.  However, higher-income Americans were just given a gift – if the next Administration doesn’t repeal it – in the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (TIPRA), which passed in May.  Starting in 2010, the income limitation on Roth IRA conversions will be removed, and for conversions done in 2010, taxpayers can spread their taxes on that conversion over tax years 2011 and 2012.

Should Working Couples Retire Together?
It’s bound to happen at some point for working couples. One spouse gets the itch to retire or is forced to retire because of poor health or job loss. Since couples typically like to retire together, tough questions emerge: Should the other spouse retire, too, or continue working? What impact will retiring together have on the couple’s income and future retirement benefits?

How to Un-retire: Planning a Post-retirment Move Back to the Workplace
There once was a time when retirement meant leaving the workforce for good.

But an April 2006 survey by Zogby International and the MetLife Mature Market Institute found that about 11 percent of retirees aged 55-59; 16 percent between 60-65 and 19 percent between 66-70, reported they had gone back to work.

Start a New Summer Tradition: the Mid-year Financial Checkup
No, it’s not exactly like a day at the beach, but a midyear review of your tax situation, retirement and spending issues can be far more valuable than the rushed attempt most people make at the end of the year.

Summer is a great time to review finances because things at work and home may be slower and if you’ve fallen behind on savings or haven’t checked your spending habits in a while, you can work to correct the problem during the second half of the year.  Here are the big issues to tackle:

8 Ways To Spend Your Tax Refund
OK, the headline is admittedly a bit deceiving. You probably think it means eight fun ways to blow your tax refund: a plasma-screen TV, a vacation, hundreds of lottery tickets or a shopping trip to the mall. But you’ve lived all year without that money and there are more useful ways to “spend” your refund.