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Are there any creative ways I can use life insurance in my business?       I'm an independent contractor. Where can I get health and disability insurance?       What is errors and omissions insurance?       What is stop-loss insurance?       What kind of insurance coverage do I need for my small business?     Noncompetition agreements       I am buying a business. Can I make the seller sign a noncompetition agreement?       My employer wants me to sign a noncompetition agreement. What is it? 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But would it be better to contribute to a 529 plan instead?       Will I be penalized if the money in my 529 plan isn't used for college expenses?       Will I pay income tax when the money in my 529 plan is withdrawn to pay for college expenses?     Financial aid       Can we negotiate our child's financial aid award?       How can my child find scholarships for college?       How do I apply for financial aid?       What are the major federal financial aid loan programs?       What is a Stafford Loan?     Selecting a college       How should my child go about selecting a college?   Estate Planning   Articles     Assets       Asset protection in estate planning       Estate planning and 529 plans       Transferring your family business     Beneficiary designations       Choosing a beneficiary for your IRA or 401(k)       Designating a beneficiary for life insurance     Charitable giving       Charitable giving       Life insurance and charitable giving     Estate planning basics       Estate planning--an introduction       Facing the possibility of incapacity       Gift and estate taxes       Trust basics       Wills--the cornerstone of your estate plan     Life insurance       Life insurance and estate planning       Life insurance and terminal illness       Life insurance: do you need it?       Planning ahead for life insurance proceeds       The ins and outs of policy ownership     Medicaid planning       Medicaid and nursing home care       Medicaid and the principal residence       Medicaid planning basics     Probate       Bypassing probate       Understanding probate   Decision Tools     Business planning       Business life insurance needs       Business succession planning alternatives       Choosing a business entity       How cross purchase plans work       How entity purchase plans work       Number of policies needed with a cross purchase plan       Planning for succession of a business interest     Charitable giving       How a charitable lead trust works       How a charitable remainder trust works       The best property to give to charity     Life insurance       Life insurance needs analyzer     Probate       The probate process: 3 to 9 months after death       The probate process: 9 to 12 months after death       The probate process: initial tasks       Types of post-mortem elections     Trusts       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?       I just made a gift. 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Will I still be able to receive Social Security retirement benefits based on his earnings record after our divorce?       Should I retire now at age 62 and collect Social Security benefits, or should I wait until age 65?       What happens if I start collecting Social Security after age 65?       When do I have to apply for a Social Security number for my newborn?       When I retire, how much will I receive from Social Security?       Will my children receive money from Social Security when I die?   Investment Planning   Articles     Choosing investment vehicles       Annuity basics       Creating an investment portfolio       The best ways to save for college       Understanding mutual fund share classes     Investment basics       Six keys to successful investing       Taxation of investments       Understanding risk     Investment goals       Asset Allocation       Dollar cost averaging   Decision Tools     Creating an investment portfolio       Asset allocation pie chart illustrator       Building an investment portfolio       Exchange traded funds and mutual funds compared     Investment planning basics       Common investment mistakes to avoid       Simple rules for investing       Steps to financial planning success     Taxes       Capital gains and dividends tax relief   FAQs     Creating an investment portfolio       How should I structure my retirement portfolio?       What recourse do I have if I'm unhappy with my state savings plan's investment performance?     Investing basics       How can I gauge my risk tolerance?       Is there any type of insurance that can protect against losses from investments?       Should I invest my extra cash or use it to pay off debt?       What is asset allocation and how does it work?       What is dollar cost averaging and how do I know if it's right for me?       What's the difference between growth investing and value investing?     Mutual funds       How does a 529 plan compare with investing in a mutual fund in my name?       Is it better to invest in a tax-free or a taxable mutual fund?       What is the difference between an open-end and a closed-end mutual fund?     Savings bonds       Are savings bonds a good way to save?       Do series EE bonds offer any special advantages if used for college savings?   Personal Finance   Articles     Financial basics       Establishing a budget       Working with a financial advisor     Managing credit and debt       Contemplating bankruptcy       Debt consolidation     Owning a home       Applying for a mortgage       Buying a home       Refinancing your mortgage       Selling a home       Tapping the equity in your home       Tax benefits of home ownership       Your home as a source of dollars in retirement   Decision Tools     Owning a home       Homeowners insurance quiz       How to save money on your homeowners insurance       Should you refinance your mortgage?     Saving, spending, and borrowing       Consumer price index inflation calculator       Credit cards--advantages vs. disadvantages       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?     Refinancing a mortgage       Do I need to let my homeowners insurance company know that I'm refinancing a mortgage?       Should I refinance my home mortgage?     Selling a home       I'm having a hard time selling my home. Should I take out a reverse mortgage?       Should I sell or rent out my present home?     Spousal credit issues       Am I liable for my spouse's debts?       I'm marrying someone with bad credit. How will this affect me?   Protection Planning   FAQs     Life insurance       Can an insurance company require me to submit to a medical exam before granting me a life insurance policy?       Can I change the beneficiary on my life insurance policy? If so, how do I do it?       Can I convert all or part of my term life insurance to permanent life insurance?       Can I ever have too much life insurance?       Can I use life insurance to help me save for retirement?       Do I need life insurance if I'm single?       How can an insurance company really tell if I smoke?       How can I reduce the cost of life insurance?       How do I decide if I should replace my existing life insurance policy with a new one?       How much life insurance do I need?       I have enough life insurance right now. But I might need more in the future if I decide to start a family. Will I be able to buy more later, even if I develop a medical condition?       I smoke cigars occasionally, but not cigarettes. Will I be charged smokers' rates for life insurance?       If I leave my company, can I take my life insurance policy with me?       Is it less expensive to buy life insurance while I'm young?       Is it possible to name a charity as the beneficiary of my life insurance policy?       Is there any way I can use life insurance to help cover my expenses if I become terminally ill?       Should I buy life insurance on my child?       Should I buy term or cash value life insurance?       Should I replace my permanent life insurance policy with another if I'm unhappy with the rate of return I'm getting?       What is group life insurance?       What is term life insurance?       What is whole life insurance?       When I die, is my beneficiary required to take a lump-sum payment of my life insurance death benefit?       Will my beneficiaries have to pay taxes on the proceeds of my life insurance policy?   Retirement Planning   Articles     Health care issues       Buying supplemental health insurance--Medigap       Coordinating long-term care insurance with government benefits       Health insurance in retirement       Medicare       Should you buy long-term care insurance?       Understanding long-term care insurance     Housing issues       Housing options for older individuals       Your home as a source of dollars in retirement     Saving for retirement       Annuities and retirement planning       Choosing a beneficiary for your IRA or 401(k)       Deciding what to do with your 401(k) plan when you change jobs       Evaluating an early retirement offer       Saving for retirement and a child's education at the same time       Taking advantage of employer-sponsored retirement plans       Understanding defined benefit plans       What to do after you've been automatically enrolled in your company's retirement plan   Decision Tools     401(k) plans       401(k) plans       Individual 401(k) Illustration     IRAs       Comparison of traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs       IRA eligibility flowchart: 2008       Roth IRA future value calculator       Traditional IRA future value calculator   FAQs     Employer-sponsored retirement plans       Can I roll a retirement plan distribution into an IRA?       Can I still have a traditional IRA if I contribute to my 401(k) plan at work?       How can I plan for retirement if my employer doesn't offer retirement benefits?       I teach at a school that has a 403(b) plan. 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Should I accept my daughter's offer to move in with her?     IRAs       Can I avoid the 10 percent penalty tax for early withdrawals from a traditional IRA?       Can I roll a retirement plan distribution into an IRA?       Can I shift my traditional funds to a Roth IRA?       Can I still have a traditional IRA if I contribute to my 401(k) plan at work?       It's January, and I forgot to contribute to my IRA. Is it too late?       Should I invest in a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA?       What's a premature IRA distribution, and what happens if I make one?     Saving for retirement       How can we possibly save for retirement and our child's college education at the same time?       How late is too late to start saving for retirement?       How should I structure my retirement portfolio?       I think it's time to start planning for retirement. 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Can I deduct this on my tax return?       I'm planning to add an in-law apartment to my home. How will this affect my homeowners insurance?       I'm thinking about placing my mother in a nursing home. Will Medicaid pay for her care?       Is there such a thing as nursing home insurance?       My mother is 90. Is it OK for her to keep driving?       My parents can't manage alone anymore. What should I do?       What types of nursing care does long-term care insurance cover?     Consumer protection       How can I protect myself against identity theft?       How do I stop those annoying telemarketing calls?       My radio broke two months after I bought it. I tried to return it to the store, but it won't give me a refund. What can I do to get my money back?     Sudden wealth       What's the best way to handle a financial windfall?       When I play the lottery, I have to choose between a lump sum and annual payments. Does it matter?   Tax Planning   Articles     General tax planning       Help! 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