Here is a small sample of the hundreds of topics covered in

Organizing Your Records

What resources do you recommend that will help me organize and simplify my financial life? 

Reducing the number of investment accounts I have.

I have a lot of investment accounts.  How can I go about reducing the number that I have?

Simplifying Your Finances

What can I do to make it easier to organize and monitor my financial records?

Streamlining Your Financial Planning

I don't have a lot of time to spend on my investments and financial planning.  What are the key matters I need to pay attention to?

Making Good Use of Financial and Other Professionals

What should I consider before using the services of a financial planner, lawyer, or other advisor?

Income Taxes

How long should I hold onto past income tax returns?

LEARNING TO LIVE BENEATH YOUR MEANS

Budgeting

I hate to budget.  Can you suggest any alternatives to help me boost my savings?

Developing a Savings Plan

Provide some guidance on painless ways for me to save more of my income.

Easy Ways to Add to Your Investments

INSURANCE

Types of insurance coverage

I want to make sure I don't have any gaps in my insurance coverage.  What kinds of insurance do I need?

Health Insurance

What should I consider when acquiring or evaluating health insurance?

Disability Insurance

What should I consider when acquiring or evaluating disability insurance?

Homeowner's Insurance

What should I consider when acquiring or evaluating homeowner's insurance?

Safe Deposit Box Insurance

I've heard that any valuables stored in a safe deposit box aren't insured by the bank?  Should I obtain coverage on safe deposit box contents?

Automobile Insurance

What should I consider when acquiring or evaluating automobile insurance?

Personal Liability (Umbrella) Insurance

What should I consider when acquiring or evaluating personal liability (umbrella) insurance?

Professional Liability Insurance

Help me decide if I need professional liability insurance for my job and if so, where I should obtain it.

Household Inventory 

What suggestions do you have for preparing a household inventory?

Life Insurance

What suggestions do you have for deciding how much and what kind of life insurance coverage I should have?

Long Term Care Insurance

Help me decide if I should acquire long-term care insurance and, if so, how should I evaluate a policy?

Reducing Insurance Costs

Insurance is expensive.  How can I reduce the cost of my insurance coverage?

Property Insurance

What suggestions do you have to help me avoid any gaps in my property insurance coverage? 

Reducing Insurance Costs

Insurance takes a big bite out of the family budget.  How can I prudently reduce my insurance bills?

Life Insurance

How much and what kind of life insurance do I need?

I've heard that the cost of term insurance has dropped, and I have an old policy.  Does it make any sense to replace the old policy with a cheaper one?

Long-Term Care Insurance

I hear so much conflicting advice about long-term care insurance.  What is your opinion?

Insurance to Avoid 

I'm bombarded with solicitations for all kinds of insurance.  Is any of it worthwhile?

BORROWING AND CREDIT

Paying Off Credit Card Loans

 I've got credit card loans.  Should I pay them off before contributing to retirement plans?

Temporary loan

I have heard that you can take a temporary loan out of an IRA.   

Making Sensible Use of Debt

Borrowing gets a bad rap, but there are some worthwhile reasons to borrow, right?

Establishing Credit

How should I establish my credit for the first time?

Home Equity Loans

How Should I Handle My Home Equity Loan Borrowing?  

Paying Off Credit Card Loans

 I've got credit card balances and have heard that I should pay them off before I begin to save?  You disagree.  Why?

Student Loans

Help me better manage my student loans.

Debt Problems 

I've gotten into debt and need your guidance on getting out.

Improving Your Creditworthiness

What tips do you have for improving my creditworthiness?

Borrowing to Meet Short-Term Needs

I've heard that you can borrow from your own IRA.  Is this true?

 HOME OWNERSHIP 

 Mortgages

 Is it a good idea to pay off my mortgage early?

 How should I go about paying off my mortgage early?

 Home Equity Loans

What are the best ways to keep home equity loan borrowing under control?  

Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)

 I'm still paying private mortgage insurance (PMI) premiums on my home.  When can I get out of paying?

 Downsizing the family home

 What are the advantages of downsizing a home?

 Moving from Renter to Homeowner Later in Life

 Is it too late for someone who isn't far from retirement to buy a home?

Home Improvements

Help me decide whether a contemplated home improvement project makes sense.

Buying a Home 

I'm a first time homebuyer.  What guidance can you provide?

I'm in a quandary as to which is better:  contributing to retirement plans or saving for a down payment on a home.

Home Mortgages

Does it make sense to pay off my mortgage early?

Property Taxes

I think my property tax bill is way to high?  Should I try to get it reduced?

Home Improvements

I'm not sure which makes more sense:  Improve my home or move into a more livable house.

Help me plan for a contemplated home improvement project.

Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)

How can I determine if I still have to pay private mortgage insurance? 

Second Homes

I'm thinking about buying a vacation home, but wonder if it will turn out to be a good investment.

LEARNING ABOUT INVESTING AND DIVERSIFICATION

Building an Investment Foundation

Help me understand what is meant by an "investment foundation."

Investment Glossary

Investment terminology is very confusing to me.  Help me understand what the investment professionals are talking about.

The importance of taking risk with investments

Why Take Any Risk With My Investments When I Can Earn Some Pretty Decent Income From No-Risk Investments

How Your Age Influences the Way You Invest

I've heard that the older you get the less you should invest in stocks.  Is this correct?

The Effect of Retiring Baby Boomers on the Stock Market.

Is it true that when baby boomers retire, the stock market will plummet as they all sell stocks to pay their living expenses?

Putting all your money in stocks.

I like investing in stocks.  Is there anything wrong with investing all of my money in stocks?  

Finding Out How Comfortable I Am With Investment Risk

Help me find out what kind of investor I am.

Illustration of Investment Diversification

Show me some examples of how I might diversify my investments. 

Investing in Small Company Stocks

Why should I invest in smaller and mid-size company stocks in addition to the more familiar large company stocks?

Investing in Foreign Stocks

Why is it important to include foreign stocks in my portfolio and how do I go about doing it?

Investing in Foreign Stocks

I own stock in U.S. companies that do a lot of business overseas.  So why would I need to invest in international stocks?

How a Pension Affects Investment Diversification

I will be receiving a pension when I retire.  How does a pension affect investment diversification guidelines?

Rebalancing Investments

Please explain about rebalancing investments and why it's important.

Investing in lifestyle funds and target date funds.

Explain the mutual funds that combine several different investments into a single fund.  

Mutual Funds for Active Investors

 I prefer to invest in individual stocks and bonds.  Is there a role for mutual funds in my investing? 

Investment Tutorial

Help me learn about investing.   

Investment Risk

 The idea of losing money with my investments is frightening.  Help me understand about investment risk. 

Investment Diversification

Explain investment diversification and why it is important for investors. 

Growth vs. Value Investing

Explain the difference between growth investing and value investing

International Investing

How can I diversify my international investments?

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and Index Funds

Help me understand about exchange-traded funds and index funds.

Investing in Real Estate

What alternatives are there to invest in real estate other than buying and managing a rental property?

Understanding Investment Risk

Help me better understand my comfort level with investment risk.  

Basics of Investing

What guidance do you have for someone who is new to investing?

Building a Diversified Investment Portfolio

How many investments do I need in order to diversify my investments?

SELECTING GOOD INVESTMENTS

Investing a Small Amount of Money

What suggestions do you have for someone who has a small amount of money to invest?

Mutual Funds

How do I go about identifying outstanding mutual funds?  

Deciding when to sell an investment

What suggestions do you have for deciding when to sell an investment?  

Deciding to purchase a deferred annuity.

How can I figure out if a deferred annuity makes sense for me?

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and Index Funds

How should I use exchange-traded funds or index funds in my investing?  

Gold and Other Precious Metals

Do you recommend investing in gold and other precious metals?

Temporary Investments

When should I put some of my money into temporary investments? 

Preferred Stocks

What tips do you have for investing in preferred stocks?

Limit Orders

How can I use limit orders to avoid big losses in my stocks?

Hedge Funds

What are hedge funds and should I be investing in them?

Sector Fund Investing

How can I invest in a particular industry and which industries do you think have attractive prospects?

Vacation Homes

Is a vacation home a worthwhile investment?

Investing in Real Estate

How can I go about investing in income-producing real estate?

Investing in Real Estate

How can I determine if a contemplated real estate acquisition is fairly priced?

Investing in Real Estate

What do you think about investing in undeveloped land?

Investing in Real Estate

Real estate is expensive, and I want to avoid making an expensive mistake.  What pitfalls should I be aware of?

Mutual Fund Investing

What tips do you have for investing in mutual funds?

Investing for the Short Term

How can I earn decent returns on money I'm going to need within the next few years?

Index Funds and Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)

I'm interested in investing in index funds and exchange-traded funds but need to learn more about them.

Automatic Investing

I don't want to be bothered monitoring and managing my investments.  Am I a candidate for life style funds or target funds?

Index Funds and Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)

I'm interested in investing in index funds and exchange-traded funds but need to learn more about them.

Investing in Individual Stocks and Bonds

I'm interested in investing in individual stocks and bonds.  What suggestions do you have?

Investing in Undeveloped Land

I'm interested in investing in raw land, but have no idea how to evaluate a property.

Investing to Meet Short-Term Needs 

I've got some money set aside that I'll need to spend over the next few years.  How can I earn a decent return on this money without losing principal?

Annuities 

I've heard that there are some newer kinds of annuities that offer attractive features.

MANAGING MY INVESTMENTS

Predicting Investment Performance

Is it possible to predict the future performance of the investment markets?  A lot of people seem to think they can.

Coping With Awful Market Conditions

The temptation is very strong to make changes in my investments whenever there is a big decline in the value of my stocks or bonds.

Investment Expenses

What suggestions do you have for reducing expenses on my investments?

Retirement Savings Plans

My retirement savings plan investment choices are pretty mediocre, if not worse.  Can I move my money into an IRA?

Retirement Savings Plans

I'm changing jobs.  What should I do with the money I've invested in my former employer's retirement savings plan?

Temporary Investments

How can I find the best interest rate on temporary investments?

Predicting Future Market Performance

Is it wise to rely on the opinion of someone who says that they can predict the future performance of the stock market?

Contrarian Investing

I've heard that it's often desirable to go against the investing crowd.  How can I do that?

Deciding When to Sell an Investment

When it comes to selecting good investments, I'm okay.  But I need help on figuring out when to sell an investment.

Coping With Declining Markets

I get scared when the stock or bond markets are declining and feel compelled to do something.  I need some advice.

INVESTING FOR RETIREMENT

Deciding Which Retirement Savings Plans are Preferable

Help me determine which retirement plans are best.

Qualifying for an IRA

What are the rules for being able to contribute to an IRA?

Roth IRA Conversion

When does it make sense to convert a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA?

Evaluating Investment Choices in a Company Retirement Savings Plan

How should I go about evaluating the investment alternatives in my retirement savings plan at work?

Putting Company Stock in a 401(k) Plan

Is it okay to invest in my employer's stock through the company 401(k) plan?

Self-employed Retirement Plans

I earn income from self-employment and can afford to put away quite a bit of money into a self-employed retirement plan.  What kinds of plans will let me put the maximum amount away and deduct it from my income taxes?

Retirement Savings Plans

I've heard about a Roth 401(k) and 403(b) plans.  Explain it to me?

Best Ways to Invest for Retirement

I can contribute to a variety of retirement plans.  Which ones are the most advantageous?

Coping With Poor Investment Choices in Your 401(k) or 403(b) Plan 

My employer's retirement savings plan choices are, in a word, awful.  Is there anything I can do about it?

Putting Your Employer's Stock in a 401(k) Plan.

What do you think about putting a large percentage of my 401(k) plan contributions into my company's stock?

Roth IRA Conversions

Does a Roth IRA conversion still make sense?

Qualifying for IRA Contributions

I think my income is too high to qualify for an IRA contribution.  

Retirement Plans for the Self-Employed

I have income from self-employment.  What kind of retirement plans to I qualify for?

What to Do With Retirement Savings Plans When You Change Jobs

I just moved to a new job and am receiving a lot of conflicting advice on what to do with my investments in my former employer's plan.  

FAMILY MATTERS

 Helping family members become money savvy

What suggestions do you have for helping the family become money savvy? 

Financial Concerns of Aging Parents

What should I be aware of regarding financial concerns of my aging parents?

Teaching Children About Money

What can I do to help my children learn about money?

IRAs for Younger Generation Family Members

Under what circumstances can an IRA be set up for a school age child?

Older Family Members

My parents are beginning to slow down in their advanced years.  I need your advice on matters that I may need to attend to as they become less able to cope with their finances.

PAYING FOR COLLEGE AND OTHER BIG TICKET ITEMS 

529 Plans

Is it possible to move money in a child's custodial account into a 529 plan? 

How should I go about selecting a 529 plan?

College Scholarships

What ideas do you suggest for finding college scholarships? 

Saving for College

There are a variety of ways to save for college.  Which do you recommend?

Preparing in Advance for Big Expenses

The occasional big bill really pinches my finances.  How should I prepare for them in advance?

Cutting College Costs 

There must be some ways to reduce the costs of sending my kids to college.  

Car Ownership

Is it always more sensible to buy used cars?  

What tips do you have for cutting the high costs of owning and maintaining a car? 

I seem to always have car loans.  How can I get into a position where I can pay cash for a car or at least make a big down payment?

INCOME TAXES

Taxes on Investment Income

How are the various types of investments taxed?

Reducing Taxes on Investment Income

What strategies should I be using to reduce income taxes on my investments?

Reducing Income Taxes

What income tax saving suggestions do you have for people of average incomes?

What can I do to reduce my income taxes late in the year?

Cutting Taxes on Investments

Last year I had a lot of unexpected income from my mutual funds and other investments.  What can I do to reduce taxes on my investments in the future?

Tax Refunds

I always get a large tax refund which is a welcome gift.  But I've heard that this isn't a very smart thing to do.

Income Tax Preparation

What recommendations do you have for those of us who want to prepare our own income tax returns?

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

Retirement Living Expense Budget

Help me figure out how much my living expenses will be after I retire.

Social Security

When should I begin collecting Social Security retirement benefits?

Annuities

Help me decide whether taking out an income annuity after I retire makes sense.

Explain the various kinds of annuities that are offered by insurance companies 

Deciding on how to take a pension or annuity distribution

I will be taking a pension distribution or an annuity.  How can I figure out the best way to receive benefits so that my spouse or other family member is protected?

Early Retirement

What should I consider if my employer offers me an early retirement incentive plan?

Early Retirement

What suggestions do you have for those who are contemplating early retirement?

Late Starters

I think I'm way behind in accumulating what I'll need for retirement.  What should I do?

Delaying Retirement 

What are the benefits in terms of higher income if I decide to delay retirement?

Relocation

I'm consideration relocating shortly before or after I retire.  How should I go about evaluating whether this makes sense?

I'm thinking about moving in the future.  Should I buy a second home in that locale now or wait until I indeed move there?

Overseas relocation

What are the pros and cons of retiring overseas?

The Home 

What are the implications for retirement if someone has a lot of their net worth tied up in home equity?

Help me decide the best thing to do with my home when I retire.

 Medicare Insurance for Retirees

What kind of Medicare insurance will I need when I retire?

Early Retirement

If I retire early, how can I maintain health insurance coverage before Medicare kicks in at age 65?

Medicare Drug-Benefit Plans

How should I go about selecting a Medicare Drug-Benefit Plan? 

Important Matters for Those Who are Near Retirement

I'm going to be retiring shortly.  What financial matters should I be attending to? 

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT Checklists

Withdrawing Money When I'm Retired

What percentage of my retirement savings can I prudently withdraw after I retire?

Employer Pension Plans

My employer offers a pension plan or I'm thinking of working for one.  What should I consider since many employer's are cutting back or eliminating their pension plans?

Delaying Retirement

What prospects do I have if I want to work after I reach retirement age? 

Forecasting Retirement Income and Expenses 

What advice do you have to help me prepare a realistic projection of what my income and expenses will be when I retire. 

Early Retirement

What should I be doing in order to be able to afford to retire early?

Last Minute Retirement Planning

I'm nearing retirement age.  What are some ways I can increase my retirement income?

Social Security

I hear a lot of conflicting advice about when to begin collecting Social Security.  What are your thoughts?

Last Minute Retirement Planning 

What changes do I need to make to my finances when I retire?

Assuring Lifetime Income 

I worry about running out of money when I'm retired.  How can I assure that I have a sufficient income for the rest of my life?

ESPECIALLY FOR RETIREES

Investing When You Are Retired

I'm retired, but have some money that will be passed on to younger generation family members.  How should I invest it?

Which Investments to Draw Upon After Retirement

Help me figure out the best investments to sell as I need money during retirement. 

Reverse Mortgages 

Explain how equity in my home may be withdrawn through a reverse mortgage. 

Reverse Mortgages

Help me determine if a reverse mortgage makes sense.     

Cutting Income Taxes After Retirement

What techniques do you suggest that will help me reduce the taxes I pay on withdrawals from my retirement and other investment accounts?

Roth IRA Conversions for Retirees

Is it too late to convert money from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA after retirement?

Life Insurance Needs of Retirees

How might my life insurance needs change after I retire?

Estate Planning for Retirees

What matters pertaining to my will and other estate planning documents are especially important for retirees? 

What financial matters do I need to consider as I get nearer retirement

Investing When You Are Retired 

What's different about the way I should invest when I'm retired compared with investing during my working years? 

Charitable gift annuities

What are charitable gift annuities and how can I determine if they make sense for me?

Reducing Income Taxes After You Retire

I never realized how much I would be socked with income taxes after I retired.  Do you have any tips on ways for retirees to pare their tax bills?

WILLS AND OTHER ESTATE PLANNING MATTERS 

Basic Estate Planning Documents

What estate planning documents do I need? 

Contingent Beneficiaries   

Why should I name contingent (backup) beneficiaries for my IRAs and other retirement plans? 

Wills and Other Important Estate Planning Documents

What suggestions do you have for preparing a will? 

Explain the various necessary estate planning documents.

Where should I store my will?

Providing for Family Members with Special Needs in Estate Planning

How should I provide for children or other family members with special needs in my estate planning? 

Appointing Guardians for Minor Children

What suggestions do you have for selecting the appropriate guardians for my children?   

Durable Power of Attorney 

What suggestions do you have for preparing a durable power of attorney?

Living Trust

Do I need a living trust?

Under what circumstances is a living trust appropriate?   

Advance Directive (Living Will)  

What suggestions do you have for preparing an advance directive (health care power of attorney)? 

Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples

What estate planning matters do unmarried couples need to be aware of?

Letter of Instructions

Where can I obtain information about a letter of instructions?

MISCELLEANEOUS MONEY MATTERS

Finding Out Where I Stand

You hear a lot of talk about someone's "number," in other words, how much you have to set aside by retirement to maintain your lifestyle.  Is it important to know one's "number"?

Profiting from a Fabulous Career

What Can I Do to Advance in My Career and Earn More Money?

I have taken a few years off from the workforce, but would like to return.  How difficult will this be?  

I'm considering a career change.  What suggestions do you have?  

Starting a Business 

I'm thinking of starting a business.  Steer me in the right direction. 

Handling a Financial Windfall

I have received or will be receiving a money windfall.  I need some sensible guidance on how to handle it.

Emergency Funds

How much money do I need to keep in a checking or savings account in order to pay for any financial emergencies that might arise?

Avoiding Scams

I'm really afraid that I'll become the victim of a financial fraud.  How can I avoid that fate?