More than ever before, Americans need to take responsibility for saving for retirement.  Whichever savings vehicles you choose—from 401 (k) plans to mutual funds to annuities—it’s never too early to begin preparing you for your Golden Years. Articles Annuities Annuities and retirement planning Immediate Annuities Offer a Source of Lifetime Income 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 Facing the possibility of incapacity Gift and estate taxes Trust basics Wills--the cornerstone of your estate plan Health care issues Health insurance in retirement Medicare Retiring Early? Don't Forget about Health Insurance Understanding long-term care insurance Housing issues Housing options for older individuals Your home as a source of dollars in retirement Investments Asset allocation Can I afford to send my child to college? Common investment goals Creating an investment portfolio Dollar cost averaging Handling market volatility Income Annuities Can Help Fill the Retirement Income Gap Investing in bonds Investing in stocks Investment planning--the basics Mutual fund basics Other investments Retirement planning--the basics Six keys to successful investing Taxation of investments Understanding investment terms and concepts Understanding mutual fund share classes Understanding risk Life insurance Life insurance and estate planning Medicaid planning Medicaid and nursing home care Medicaid and the principal residence Medicaid planning basics Medicare and Medicaid Health insurance in retirement Medicaid and nursing home care Medicaid and the principal residence Medicaid planning basics Medicare Probate Bypassing probate Understanding probate Saving for retirement Annuities and retirement planning Borrowing or withdrawing money from your 401(k) plan Closing a retirement income gap Estimating your retirement income needs Evaluating an early retirement offer Rethinking Your Retirement Game Plan Retirement planning--the basics Smart Retirement Savings Steps to Take Now Taking advantage of employer-sponsored retirement plans Understanding defined benefit plans Understanding IRAs What to do after you've been automatically enrolled in your company's retirement plan Social Security Social Security disability benefits Social Security retirement benefits Social Security survivors benefits Social Security: Late Retirement Boosts Benefits Social Security: What Does the Future Hold? Understanding Social Security Tools 401 (k) plans 401(k) plans 401(k) Savings Calculator 401(k) Spend It or Save It Calculator 403(b) Savings Calculator Should you save in a 401(k) or a Roth IRA? Solo 401(k) Illustration Annuities Advantages and disadvantages of tax-deferred fixed annuities Advantages and disadvantages of variable annuities Annuities Fixed vs. variable annuities How a fixed deferred annuity works How a variable annuity works Immediate vs. deferred annuities Understanding annuity expenses Variable Annuity Calculator Charitable giving How a charitable lead trust works How a charitable remainder trust works The best property to give to charity Estate planning basics Common incapacity documents Estate shrinkage Estate Tax Planning Federal estate tax estimator Federal transfer tax exemption amounts under the Tax Act of 2001 Life Insurance Calculator Steps to estate planning success Table of federal estate tax brackets and exemption limits Health care issues Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care Medicare figures at-a-glance Medicare Medigap and Medicaid Should you consider buying long-term care insurance (LTCI)? Investments Annual Stock Option Grants Asset Allocator Capital gains and dividends tax relief Common investment mistakes to avoid Consumer price index inflation calculator Future Contracts Calculator Growth of annual deposits calculator Investment Loan Investment Returns Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003: Highlights Simple rules for investing Stock Option Calculator What is your risk tolerance? IRAs 457 Savings Calculator 72T Calculator 72T Distribution Impact Beneficiary Required Minimum Distributions Comparison of traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs IRA eligibility flowchart: 2005 IRA eligibility flowchart: 2006 Required Minimum Distributions Roth IRA Calculator Roth IRA Conversion Roth IRA future value calculator Roth IRA: how much can you contribute? Roth vs. Traditional IRA Traditional IRA Calculator Traditional IRA future value calculator Traditional IRA required minimum distribution illustrator Traditional IRA: how much can you contribute and deduct? Variable Annuity Calculator Life insurance Life insurance needs analyzer Medicare and Medicaid How important is Social Security? Life Expectancy Calculator Long Term Care Calculator Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care Medicare figures at-a-glance Medicare Medigap and Medicaid Retirement Income Calculator Retirement Shortfall Calculator Should you consider buying long-term care insurance (LTCI)? Social Security Benefits 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 Retirement planning basics Building an investment portfolio Consumer price index inflation calculator Growth of annual deposits calculator How taxation can affect your retirement funds Investing for retirement Life Expectancy Calculator Net worth calculator Pension Plan Retirement Options Personal cash flow worksheet Retirement Income Calculator Retirement Pension Planner Retirement Planner Retirement Shortfall Calculator Saving for your retirement Savings Goals Savings, Taxes and Inflation What is your risk tolerance? Social Security Disability income needs worksheet How earnings affect Social Security How important is Social Security? Social Security Benefits Social Security disability insurance (SSDI): awards and applications illustrator Social Security figures at-a-glance Sources of retirement income: filling the Social Security gap What are your chances of becoming disabled? 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 Annuities Can I change my annuity for one with a better interest rate? I bought an annuity a few years ago, but I don't want it anymore. Is there a way to get rid of it? What is an annuity? 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? Does the federal government insure pension benefits? 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. Is this type of plan a good way to save for retirement? My company has a profit-sharing plan. How do these plans work? Should I contribute to my 401(k) plan at work? Should You Default to Your Employers Retirement Plan What are my options if I inherit an IRA or employer-sponsored plan? What does the term "qualified plan" mean? What is vesting? Estate and gift tax How can I determine what my business is worth for estate and gift tax purposes? How can I minimize taxes on my estate? How will estate taxes be paid if I leave no provision in my will? I just made a gift. Do I have to file a gift tax return? The death benefit from insurance on my life will be paid to an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT). What if those funds are needed to pay my estate taxes? What is a family limited partnership, and will it help reduce estate taxes? What is the applicable exclusion amount? 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? Health care issues Can I deduct premiums paid for long-term care (LTC) insurance? How can I pay for nursing home care? How can I tell if a nursing home provides high-quality care? How do I enroll in Medicare? How does Medicare Advantage work? Should I buy long-term care insurance? What is long-term care insurance? What is Medigap? Housing issues I'm having a hard time selling my home. Should I take out a reverse mortgage? I'm retired now and own my home outright, but I need money to live on. How can I use my home to raise some money without selling it? My husband just died. Should I accept my daughter's offer to move in with her? What is assisted living? Investments 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? How aggressive should I be when I invest for retirement? How can I gauge my risk tolerance? How did the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 change capital gains tax rates? 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? I have investment property. What does basis mean, and how do I determine the basis of my property? Is it better to invest in a tax-free or a taxable mutual fund? Is there any type of insurance that can protect against losses from investments? Should I invest in mutual funds or individual securities? Should I invest my extra cash or use it to pay off debt? Should I work with a stockbroker to buy individual stocks? What are DRIPs? What is a mutual fund prospectus and how do I read it? What is a stock split? 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 is the difference between an open-end and a closed-end mutual fund? What's the difference between growth investing and value investing? Who do I call if I have a complaint about my stockbroker? Will I have to pay tax on my investment income? IRAs Can I avoid the 10 percent penalty tax for early withdrawals from a traditional IRA? Can I contribute to a Roth IRA? Can I roll a retirement plan distribution into an IRA? Can I set up a traditional IRA? Can I still have a traditional IRA if I contribute to my 401(k) plan at work? Can I take money from my IRA without any penalty? I need money--can I take funds from my IRA? 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 are my options if I inherit an IRA or employer-sponsored plan? What are required minimum distributions and how are they calculated? What are the rules for IRA contributions? Whats a premature IRA distribution and what happens if I make one? Life insurance and estate planning Are life insurance proceeds income taxable? The death benefit from insurance on my life will be paid to an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT). What if those funds are needed to pay my estate taxes? What is a life insurance trust and why should I consider establishing one? When I die, is my beneficiary required to take a lump-sum payment of my life insurance death benefit? Medicare and Medicaid How do I enroll in Medicare? How does Medicare Advantage work? If I'm covered by Medicare, should I have additional health insurance? I'm thinking about placing my mother in a nursing home. Will Medicaid pay for her care? Military benefits Can I be buried in a national cemetery even though I got out of the Army years ago? Planning for incapacity What is an advanced directive for health care, and will it help me avoid court involvement during incapacity? What is the difference between a power of attorney and a durable power of attorney? Probate Does property owned jointly avoid probate? What is probate and why do I want to avoid it? Saving for retirement How aggressive should I be when I invest for retirement? How can I plan for retirement if my employer doesn't offer retirement benefits? How late is too late to start saving for retirement? How much money should I save for retirement? How should I structure my retirement portfolio? I think it's time to start planning for retirement. Where do I begin? Should I accept my employer's early retirement offer? What should I do if I determine that my income during retirement won't be enough to meet my retirement expenses? Social Security Are my Social Security benefits subject to income tax? How can I get an estimate of my Social Security benefits? How do I get disability benefits from Social Security? 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? Trusts What is a Crummey power? What is a life insurance trust and why should I consider establishing one? What is a living trust? Wills Can I disinherit relatives I don't like? Can I transfer my business through my will? Do I have to accept a bequest I don't want? Do I need an attorney to prepare my will? How will estate taxes be paid if I leave no provision in my will? I want my son to have my valuable collection of baseball cards when I die. How do I make sure he gets it? What is the difference between a living will and a living trust? What will happen if I die without a will? Who should I name as guardian of my children in case my spouse and I should die at the same time? Who should I name as trustee?

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