 Financial Planning Basics |
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| Budgeting 101:
Whether you make thousands of dollars a year or hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, you need a budget.
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Guilt-Free Budgeting: If the word "budget" makes you cringe, try this step-by-step guide to setting up a budget that works - no blame, no shame.
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| Financial Goals: Without financial goals and specific plans for meeting them, we drift along and leave our future to chance. Here are four simple steps for setting financial goals.
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Building a Safety Net: Practical advice for building a financial safety net to prevent financial disasters caused by catastrophic illness or other personal tragedies. |
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| Budgeting Links: Links to budgeting worksheets, examples, calculators, advice, tips, encouragement, and how-tos, including how to get started and how to stay motivated.
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Choosing a Financial Planner: Everyone needs a financial plan but not everyone needs a financial planner. Here's how to tell if you do, and how to find one. |
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| Couples, Families, and Kids |
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| Money Issues For Unmarried Couples: You may be unwed, but don't be unwise. Advice on unique financial issues facing unmarried couples regarding housing, taxes, health, and mingling of assets.
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Marriage: Tying the Financial Knot: Disagreements about finances is the number one cause of divorce. Increase your chances of staying out of divorce court with this financial advice. | |
| Dollars and Cents for Kids: Follow this advice to teach your kids how to become financially savvy adults, avoid debt, and be financially independent.
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Financing a College Education: An overview of the most popular methods of financing your child's college education and how to come up with the money. |
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| More Taboo Than Sex: Many people will talk about anything, even sex, before they'll talk
about money. Prevent financial issues from coming between you and your partner.
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Affordable, Memorable Weddings: The average wedding in the US costs $19,000. Can you have a beautiful, memorable wedding for less? Of course! |
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| Dealing With Divorce: Divorce is very costly financially. Knowing your rights and obligations, and how to protect yourself, can make it less expensive and perhaps a little less painful.
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College Financing Links: How much will it take to send your kids to college? Where will you get the money? How should you invest it? How do you find financial aid? |
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| Divorce and Finances Links:
Resources on alimony, child support, credit, debts, taxes, retirement plans, assets, and other issues related to divorce.
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Family Finances Links: How to deal with money and marriage, pre-nuptial agreements, teaching your kids about money, remarriage, second incomes, new babies, and more. |
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| Kids and Money Links:
Advice for teaching your kids about money, including online educational games, advice about allowances, effective techniques for toddlers through teens, and more.
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Unmarried Couples Links: Links to information on personal finance issues related to unmarried couples, including estate planning, taxes, parenting issues, money concerns, insurance, and other financial topics. |
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| You Can Stay Home:
Don't assume that you can't afford to stay home with your kids. Calculate what that second income is REALLY worth, and what' it's costing you to work. You may be surprised.
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Suddenly Single: In the midst of dealing with the
grief and pain of the loss of a loved one,
financial-related matters must be taken care of. Here's helpful advice for sorting through your financial affairs when you find yourself suddenly single. |
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| Retirement and Estate Planning |
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| Think Retirement!: Start planning for your retirement now, or you may spend your golden years working at the golden arches for minimum wage.
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To Roth or Not to Roth?: This article sifts through the confusing information on IRAs and helps you decide whether you would benefit more from a Roth IRA or traditional IRA. |
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| Wills: Wills are not just for the rich, but do YOU need one? And do you need a lawyer to draw one up? How do you get started?
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IRAs: Links to information about the various kinds of IRAs, options for retirees, optimizing your IRA, and other resources. |
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| Changing Jobs and Your 401(k): The wrong move can cost you thousands in taxes, penalties, and forfeited employer matches. Find out how to maximize your 401(k) money when considering a job change.
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The Future of Social Security: You've heard the hype about the demise of Social Security. Will it be around when it's time for you to collect? And how much can you expect to receive in retirement benefits? |
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| 401(k) and 403(b) Plans: Links to everything you need to know about 401(k) and 403(b) plans, including who's eligible, how much you can contribute, taking a loan from your plan, and how to maximize your contributions.
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Social Security: Links to Social Security information, including how much you can expect to receive, frequently asked questions, and whether Social Security will be around when you need it. |
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| General Retirement Info: A collection of links to excellent retirement information, from the basics of retirement planning, to investing your retirement assets.
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Wills/Estates Links: Basics of estate planning, wills, and living trusts, and advice on how to protect your loved ones after your death. |
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One-Stop Financial Planning Guide
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