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Business Owner   Articles     Benefits and retirement plans       Benefit plans for small businesses       Disability income insurance for the self-employed       Group health insurance: a valued employee benefit       Group term life insurance       Health insurance for the self-employed       Key employee life and disability insurance       Life insurance for the self-employed       Offering group disability insurance       Retirement plans for small businesses       Split dollar insurance plans       Understanding individual 401(k) plans       What employers need to know about workers' compensation insurance     Starting a business       Advantages and disadvantages of self-employment       Choosing an entity for your business       Funding a business       Hiring your first employee       Record keeping for your own business       Starting or buying a business       Tax planning for the self-employed   Decision Tools     Benefits and retirement plans       401(k) plans       Building a retirement plan for your business       Individual 401(k) Illustration     Business planning basics       Net worth calculator     Choosing an entity       Choosing a business entity       Comparison of LLCs, LLPs, and professional corporations       How C Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, and Limited Liability Partnerships Protect Personal Assets     Insurance planning       Business life insurance needs       Number of policies needed with a cross purchase plan     Transferring or selling a business       Business succession planning alternatives       Business succession strategy analyzer       Buy-sell agreement analyzer       Buy-sell planning questionnaire       How cross purchase plans work       How entity purchase plans work       Planning for succession of a business interest   FAQs     Employee benefits and other issues       How can I boost the morale of my employees without incurring huge expenses?       How can I find good employees for my business?       What are health reimbursement arrangements?       What are incentive stock options (ISOs)?       What benefits should I offer to my employees?     Incorporating a business       Can I change my business from a C corporation to an S corporation?       Can I change my business from an S corporation to a C corporation?       Should I incorporate my business?     Noncompetition agreements       I am buying a business. Can I make the seller sign a noncompetition agreement?     Valuing a business       How can I determine what my business is worth for estate and gift tax purposes?   Government Benefits   Articles     Medicare and Medicaid       Coordinating long-term care insurance with government benefits       Health insurance in retirement       Medicaid and nursing home care       Medicaid and the principal residence       Medicare     Social Security       Social Security retirement benefits       Social Security survivor's benefits       Understanding Social Security   FAQs     Medicare and Medicaid       How do I enroll in Medicare?       I'm putting money into a 529 plan for my grandchild. But are the 529 assets subject to Medicaid spend-down requirements?       I'm thinking about placing my mother in a nursing home. Will Medicaid pay for her care?       If I'm covered by Medicare, should I have additional health insurance?     Social Security       Are my Social Security benefits subject to income tax?       How can I get an estimate of my Social Security benefits?       I'm getting remarried. How will this affect my Social Security benefits?       My husband and I are divorcing after 30 years of marriage. 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?       What is SSI?       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       Investing in bonds       Investing in stocks       Mutual fund basics       Other investments       The best ways to save for college       Understanding mutual fund share classes     Investment basics       Handling market volatility       Investment planning--the basics       Six keys to successful investing       Taxation of investments       Understanding investment terms and concepts       Understanding risk     Investment goals       Asset Allocation       Can I afford to send my child to college?       Common investment goals       Dollar cost averaging       Retirement planning--the basics   Decision Tools     Creating an investment portfolio       Annuities       Asset allocation pie chart illustrator       Building an investment portfolio       College funding options analyzer       Common types of mutual funds       Exchange traded funds and mutual funds compared       Investing for retirement       Major asset classes     Investment planning basics       Common investment mistakes to avoid       Consumer price index inflation calculator       Growth of annual deposits calculator       Simple rules for investing       Steps to financial planning success       What is your risk tolerance?     Taxes       Capital gains and dividends tax relief       Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003: Highlights   FAQs     Creating an investment portfolio       Does a state savings plan allow me to choose my own investments?       How aggressive should I be when I invest for retirement?       How do I construct an investment portfolio that's right for me?       How long should I hang on to an investment?       How much of my portfolio should I keep in stocks?       How should I structure my retirement portfolio?       What recourse do I have if I'm unhappy with my state savings plan's investment performance?       What's the difference between how a state savings plan invests and how a prepaid tuition plan invests?     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?       Should I invest in mutual funds or individual securities?       What is a mutual fund prospectus and how do I read it?       What is the difference between an open-end and a closed-end mutual fund?     Savings bonds       Are government savings bonds risk free?       Are savings bonds a good way to save?       Do series EE bonds offer any special advantages if used for college savings?     Stocks       Should I invest in mutual funds or individual securities?       Should I work with a stockbroker to buy individual stocks?       What are DRIPs?       What is a stock split?       Who do I call if I have a complaint about my stockbroker?     Taxes       How did the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 change capital gains tax rates?       I have investment property. What does basis mean, and how do I determine the basis of my property?       Will I have to pay tax on my investment income?   Protection Planning   Articles     Annuities       Annuities and retirement planning       Annuities: traps for the unwary       Annuity basics       Annuity distributions       Fixed annuity contracts       Funding an annuity: what are the options?       Guaranteed annuity contracts       Qualified and nonqualified annuities       Shopping for an annuity       Tax planning for annuities       Tax-deferred annuities: are they right for you?       Variable annuities       What are annuity subaccounts?     Business insurance       Business automobile insurance basics       Business interruption insurance       Business liability insurance basics       Business overhead expense insurance       Commercial general liability       Disability income insurance for the self-employed       Do you need crime insurance?       Funding a buy-sell agreement with disability insurance       Funding a buy-sell agreement with life insurance       Group health insurance: a valued employee benefit       Group term life insurance       Health insurance for the self-employed       Income tax tips: business insurance       Insurance tips for business travelers       Insuring your home business       Key employee life and disability insurance       Life insurance for the self-employed       Offering group disability insurance       Professional liability coverage       Properly insuring your business       Should you self-insure your business?       Split dollar insurance plans       Understanding your business owners policy       What employers need to know about workers' compensation insurance       Why insure your business?     Disability insurance       Beyond the basics: disability income insurance riders       Comparing disability income insurance policies       Disability income insurance: typical policy features       Do you need disability income insurance?       Government-sponsored disability insurance programs       Group disability insurance       How disability income insurance policies define disability       How much disability income insurance should you have?       Long-term vs. short-term disability income insurance       Lowering the cost of disability insurance       Noncancelable and guaranteed renewable policies       Surviving the underwriting process for disability income insurance       Tax planning tips: disability insurance       The fundamentals of disability insurance       Understanding waiting periods       Where to get disability coverage     Health insurance       Alternative therapies       Buying short-term health insurance       Comparing health insurance plans       Coping with medical bills       Coping with rising prescription costs       Dental insurance       Getting health insurance when you're hard to insure       Group health insurance       Health insurance and COBRA: sometimes you can take it with you       Health insurance and divorce       Health insurance for college students       Health insurance for travelers       Health insurance in retirement       Health insurance made simple       HMOs and PPOs: what's the difference?       Individual health insurance       Limitations, exclusions, and riders       Lowering the cost of health care       Making the most of your group health benefits       Mental health benefits       Planning a family? Get to know your health insurance policy       POS plans       Prescription plans       Preventing sports injuries       Tax tips: health insurance       Trends in managed care       Understanding managed care       Understanding your health insurance policy       Vision care insurance       Where to get health insurance     Life insurance       Cash value life insurance       Claiming life insurance benefits       Comparing life insurance policies       Credit life insurance       Designating a beneficiary for life insurance       How does cash value in a life insurance policy really work?       How much life insurance do you need?       Life insurance and charitable giving       Life insurance and estate planning       Life insurance and terminal illness       Life insurance at various life stages       Life insurance basics       Life insurance for children       Life insurance: do you need it?       Life insurance: the application process       Making policy loans and withdrawals       Planning ahead for life insurance proceeds       Reading and understanding your life insurance policy       Shopping for life insurance       Surrendering your life insurance policy       Tax planning tips: life insurance       Term life insurance       Term vs. cash value life insurance       The ins and outs of policy ownership       Traditional whole life insurance       Types of life insurance policies       Understanding insurance company illustrations       Universal life insurance       Variable life insurance       Variable universal life insurance       Viatical settlements     Long-term care insurance       Coordinating long-term care insurance with government benefits       Do your parents need long-term care insurance?       Five things to watch out for when buying long-term care insurance       If long-term care insurance isn't right for you: other options       Long-term care insurance: how does it work?       Should you buy long-term care insurance?       Tax tips: long-term care insurance