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Business Owner   Articles     Benefits and retirement plans       Disability income insurance for the self-employed       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       Hiring your first employee       Tax planning for the self-employed   Decision Tools     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     Tax planning       Accelerating deductions/postponing income   FAQs     Incorporating a business       Should I incorporate my business?     Starting a business       Don't most small businesses fail?       How do I find good advisors such as lawyers and accountants to help with my business?       Should I buy or lease assets for my business?   Education Planning   Articles     529 plans       529 plans and financial aid eligibility       529 plans: The ins and outs of contributions and withdrawals       Choosing a state savings plan       Estate planning and 529 plans       Income tax planning and 529 plans       Making changes to your 529 account       Opening a 529 account       The ABCs of 529 plans     Education planning basics       ABCs of financial aid       Can I afford to send my child to college?       Education tax credits       Finding money to pay college bills out of pocket       Health insurance for college students       How student loans impact your credit       Sticker shock--creative ways to lower the cost of college       The college application process   Decision Tools     529 plans       529 plans: direct-sold state savings plans     Determining how much to save for college       College savings analyzer       Higher education figures at-a-glance     Financial aid       College application and financial aid calendar       Financial aid calendar   FAQs     529 plans and financial aid       How will my 529 account be treated for financial aid purposes?       I opened a state savings plan account for my grandchild many years ago, and he's now filling out financial aid applications. Do his parents need to list the value of the account in their assets, or does my grandchild list the value of the account as his asset?     529 plans: Death of account owner or beneficiary       What happens if I open a 529 account for my child and then I die--who would control the account?       What happens if the beneficiary of the 529 account dies?     College costs       What is the college inflation rate?   Estate Planning   Articles     Assets       Asset protection in estate planning     Beneficiary designations       Choosing a beneficiary for your IRA or 401(k)     Charitable giving       Charitable giving     Estate planning basics       Estate planning--an introduction       Gift and estate taxes       Trust basics       Wills--the cornerstone of your estate plan     Life insurance       Life insurance: do you need it?     Medicaid planning       Medicaid and nursing home care       Medicaid and the principal residence       Medicaid planning basics     Probate       Understanding probate   Decision Tools     Business planning       Business life insurance needs       Business succession planning alternatives       How cross purchase plans work       How entity purchase plans work       Number of policies needed with a cross purchase plan     Estate planning basics       529 Plan Federal estate tax calculator       529 Plan Federal estate tax calculator - (Consumer Version)       Common incapacity documents       Federal estate tax estimator       Federal transfer tax exemption amounts under the Tax Act of 2001       Steps to estate planning success       Table of federal estate tax brackets and exemption limits     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       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 minimize taxes on my estate?       I just made a gift. Do I have to file a gift tax return?       If I am the account owner when I die, will the value of my 529 account be included in my estate?       What is a family limited partnership, and will it help reduce estate taxes?     Estate planning basics       How often do I need to review my estate plan?       Isn't estate planning only for the rich?       What makes up my taxable estate?   Government Benefits   Articles     Medicare and Medicaid       Coordinating long-term care insurance with government benefits       Medicaid and nursing home care       Medicaid and the principal residence       Medicaid planning basics       Medicare     Other government benefits       What employers need to know about workers' compensation insurance     Social Security       Social Security disability benefits       Social Security retirement benefits       Social Security survivor's benefits       Understanding Social Security   Decision Tools     Medicare and Medicaid       Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care       Medicare figures at-a-glance       Medicare, Medigap, and Medicaid     Social Security       Social Security figures at-a-glance   FAQs     Social Security       Are my Social Security benefits subject to income tax?       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?   Investment Planning   FAQs     Investing basics       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?   Personal Finance   Articles     Managing credit and debt       Contemplating bankruptcy       Debt consolidation       Understanding your credit report   Decision Tools     Owning a car       Auto loan payment calculator       Should you buy or lease your car?     Owning a home       Mortgage payment calculator     Saving, spending, and borrowing       Growth of annual deposits calculator       Loan amortization calculator       Net worth calculator       Personal cash flow worksheet   FAQs     Bankruptcy       Can I buy a house even though I declared bankruptcy?       What's the difference between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy?     Buying, selling, or leasing a car       Should I buy or lease a car?     Credit basics       How long should I keep copies of my tax returns?       Should I invest my extra cash or use it to pay off debt?     Selling a home       How do I figure the tax on the sale of my home?     Spousal credit issues       Am I liable for my spouse's debts?       I'm marrying someone with bad credit. How will this affect me?       What's the difference between an "injured spouse" and an "innocent spouse"?   Protection Planning   Articles     Disability insurance       Do you need disability income insurance?       Surviving the underwriting process for disability income insurance       Tax planning tips: disability insurance     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       Understanding long-term care insurance       Understanding long-term care riders and options       Using life insurance riders to pay for long-term care       What do long-term care insurance policies cover?   Decision Tools     Long-term care insurance       Comparing long-term care insurance policies       Inflation protection options       What to avoid when buying a long-term care insurance policy   FAQs     Long-term care insurance       Is there such a thing as nursing home insurance?       Should I buy long-term care insurance?       What is long-term care insurance?       What types of nursing care does long-term care insurance cover?   Retirement Planning   Articles     Health care issues       Buying supplemental health insurance--Medigap       Should you buy long-term care insurance?     Social Security       Social Security retirement benefits       Understanding Social Security   Decision Tools     IRAs       Comparison of traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs       Traditional IRA future value calculator     Social Security       How earnings affect Social Security   FAQs     Evaluating an early retirement offer       Should I accept my employer's early retirement offer?     Health care issues       How do I enroll in Medicare?     IRAs       Can I avoid the 10 percent penalty tax for early withdrawals from a traditional IRA?   Special Situations   Articles     Divorce       Health insurance and divorce       Insurance concerns of divorcing couples     Sudden wealth       Sudden wealth     Unmarried couples       Financial tips for unmarried couples   FAQs     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     Tax credits and deductions       Education tax credits       Understanding personal tax credits   FAQs     General tax planning       Do I have to file a federal income tax return?       Do I have to pay U.S. taxes when I work abroad?       I don't have the cash to pay my taxes. What can I do?       What is the alternative minimum tax?       What is the kiddie tax?     Tax credits       Can I take the tax credit for child care?       Now that my child is in college, am I entitled to any education tax credits?       What are the Hope credit and the Lifetime Learning credit?       What is the child tax credit?       What is the difference between the child tax credit and the child and dependent care tax credit?       What is the earned income credit and who qualifies for it?     Tax deductions       Can I deduct premiums paid for long-term care (LTC) insurance?       I paid my mother's real estate taxes last year. Can I deduct this on my tax return?       I refinanced my principal home last year and paid points. What are points, and can I deduct them on my tax return?