January/February 2009

A Medicare cheat sheet
In most cases, Medicare won't cover everything -- long-term care, for instance. That's why it's important to include health-care costs in your retirement income calculations by understanding the basics of Medicare.

Adapting your life insurance through different life stages
Here's a look at some life stages and how life insurance plays a role in each.

Do you know where your dollars went
Inflation decreased your purchasing power last year. But you can deal with this financial reality by budgeting your money to get a better idea of how to stretch it.

Don't forget about your free credit reports
You're entitled to a free look at your credit reports once every 12 months. Additionally, you can access a free report anytime you are refused credit.

Encouraging Generation Y to save for retirement
Your youngest workers -- Generation Y -- are your company's future. But making sure their perception of employee benefits is equal to what they are really getting requires a different way of thinking, as today's youngest workers differ from past ones.

Finding the value in value stock mutual funds
When you invest in mutual funds through your workplace 401(k) plan or IRA, it pays to understand the types of stocks in those funds. In a well-diversified investment portfolio, a value stock mutual fund can play an important role.

How much are you worth?
Do you know how much you're worth? Many people don't, and they sometimes have more assets than they think.

Learning to blend financial styles when first married
The odds that spouses may clash over finances increase when they have very different financial personalities. Here's a look at ways to make different financial personalities coexist peacefully.

Making the most of your retirement plan contributions
Contributing as much as you can to retirement plans, such as a workplace 401(k) plan or traditional IRA, makes sense anytime of the year. But, as April 15 approaches, there's another good reason to make the most of your retirement plan contributions -- current tax advantages.

Managing your credit during tight times
It might be easy to use credit cards to pay for items. Yet, this could make meeting future financial obligations only more difficult, as interest eats a big portion of your income.

Paying for business expenses when you're disabled
What happens to your company if you become disabled and are unable to work for a period of time? Overhead expense insurance is financial protection that helps pay some of your basic business expenses should you become disabled.

Questions to ask when making or updating a will
A will is arguably the most important document every individual should have as the foundation of an estate strategy. Whether your estate is large or small, a will provides basic instructions about how to transfer your assets to your loved ones.

Think twice about bankruptcy
Declaring bankruptcy has always been a last resort for financially strapped consumers, but a federal law created in 2005 makes taking this step even harder.

Timeless estate strategies for everyone
While an estate strategy may include ways to help lower estate taxes for some, almost everyone should have some basic legal documents, regardless of financial circumstances. These include a will, a durable power of attorney and an advanced health-care directive.

Understanding the full costs of retirement
Two factors promise to increase the amount of income Americans need in retirement. First, we are living longer. Second, longer lives may result in higher health-care expenses. We know it's up to us to save for retirement, and we need to be prepared for it to be longer and more expensive.