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| Taking a Look at the Big Picture | |
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| So, How's Mid Life Treating You? | |
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| How Time Flies | |
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| Dealing with Changes | |
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| How's Your Health? | |
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| Feeling a Little Bit Stressed? | |
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| Welcome to the Sandwich Generation | |
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| Figuring Out Where You Are in Life | |
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| Knowing What You Need | |
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| Emergency Fund | |
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| The Right Accounts | |
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| Insurance | |
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| Knowing What You Want | |
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| Understanding the Difference Between Want and Need | |
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| Get Real | |
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| On the Plus Side | |
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| Your House | |
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| Income | |
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| Savings and Investments | |
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| Vehicles | |
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| Your Family | |
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| A Place in Your Community | |
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| On the Minus Side | |
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| Your Mortgage | |
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| Credit Card Debt | |
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| Car Payments | |
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| Expenses, Expenses, Expenses | |
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| And Then There's Your Ex | |
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| Getting It All Together | |
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| What Is Net Worth? | |
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| Figuring It Out | |
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| Maybe You Need a Budget | |
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| Planning for What You'll Need | |
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| Keeping Your Finances on Track | |
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| Your Kids and Your Money | |
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| The Big, Expensive Parent Trap | |
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| Cell Phones, Jeeps, and PlayStation 2s | |
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| But Mom, All My Friends Have One | |
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| Teaching Kids About Money | |
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| Letting Them Earn Their Own | |
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| You're Not a Fairy Godmother | |
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| Helping Out with Big Expenses | |
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| Trading In the Bikes for Cars | |
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| When Your Kid Wants a Car | |
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| Knowing If He or She Is Ready | |
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| Who Should Buy the Car? | |
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| What About a Lease? | |
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| New Jetta or a Junker? | |
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| The Cost of Keeping a Car | |
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| Paying for College | |
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| The Cost of Higher Education | |
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| Starting Early to Save for College | |
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| Traditional College Accounts | |
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| Other Options for College Savings | |
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| Figuring Out What You Can Afford | |
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| Finding Financial Aid | |
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| Other Ways to Finance College | |
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| Extras, Spending Money, Cars, and Credit Cards | |
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| Wedding Bells | |
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| Your Baby's Getting Married | |
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| Who Pays for a Wedding These Days? | |
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| Wedding Costs | |
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| Saving on Wedding Costs | |
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| Avoiding Temptation | |
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| Helping Your Kids Get on Their Feet | |
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| The Cost of Getting Started | |
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| How Much Should You Help? | |
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| To Loan or to Give? | |
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| Keeping It All Up Front | |
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| Boomerang Kids | |
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| Hearth and Home | |
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| To Stay or Not To Stay? | |
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| If Your Housing Needs Are Changing | |
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| Welcome Home, Mom | |
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| Considering a Brand-New Home | |
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| Adapting the House You Have | |
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| A Home Away from Home | |
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| Thinking About a Vacation Home | |
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| Tax Advantages | |
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| Other Advantages | |
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| The Downside of Vacation Homes | |
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| What About a Timeshare? | |
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| Paying for a New Home or Second Home | |
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| Knowing What You Can Afford | |
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| Considering Extra Costs | |
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| Deciding How You'll Pay for It | |
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| Selling the House You Already Have | |
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| Hire a Realtor or Sell It Yourself? | |
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| Finding the Right Realtor | |
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| Timing Is Everything | |
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| Costs Associated with Selling | |
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| Preparing for a Move | |
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| When the Big Day Arrives | |
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| Life Changes | |
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| Knowing That Nothing Stays the Same | |
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| Coping With Change Isn't Easy | |
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| Types of Changes You May Encounter | |
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| Strategies for Handling Life Changes | |
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| Knowing When You Might Need Some Help | |
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| Job Changes | |
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| The Changing Workplace | |
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| Voluntary Job Changes | |
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| Involuntary Job Changes | |
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| Heading Back to the Classroom | |
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| Dealing With Losing Your Job | |
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| Downsizing and Other Dirty Words | |
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| You Job and Your Identity | |
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| Bridges Aren't Built to Be Burned | |
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| Practical Concerns When You're Not Working | |
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| Financial Strategy Planning | |
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| Resources to Help You | |
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| Going Out on Your Own | |
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| Entrepreneurial Opportunities | |
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| Risks of Starting Your Own Business | |
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| Rewards of Going It Alone | |
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| Thinking Toward Retirement | |
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| Working at Home vs. Renting an Office | |
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| Other Changes to Think About | |
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| Nobody Lives Forever | |
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| Marital Status | |
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| The Empty Nest Syndrome | |
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| I Need to See the Doctor, Please | |
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| Smart Investing in This Stage of Life | |
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| Investing at Work | |
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| Basic Methods of Saving for Retirement | |
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| Pension Plans | |
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| 401(k) Plans and the 403(b) | |
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| Simple Plans | |
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| Understanding Vesting | |
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| Knowing What You Have and What You'll Need | |
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| Retirement Needs Analysis | |
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| Investing Outside of Work | |
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| The Stock Market | |
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| Knowing What and When to Buy | |
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| Knowing When to Sell Stock | |
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| The Bond Market | |
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| Are Bonds Safer? | |
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| Mutual Funds | |
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| IRAs, Roth IRAs, and SEP IRAs | |
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| Investing Lump Sums | |
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| Tax Refunds | |
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| Severance Pay | |
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| Bonuses | |
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| Stock Options | |
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| Settlements | |
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| Inheritances | |
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| Retirement Lump Sum Payouts | |
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| Finding a Good Financial Advisor | |
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| Why You Should Have an Advisor | |
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| Not All Financial Advisors Are Equal | |
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| Finding an Advisor Who's Right for You | |
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| Fees Associated with Financial Advisors | |
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| Some Things Your Advisor Should Never Do | |
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| Preparing for the Future | |
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| You're Never Too Young to Plan | |
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| You Do Have a Will, Don't You? | |
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| Choosing a Guardian for Minor Children | |
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| Protecting Your Family and Your Business | |
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| What About Long-Term-Care Insurance? | |
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| Living Wills | |
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| Power of Attorney | |
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| Helping Aging Parents Plan | |
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| Knowing If Your Parents Need Help | |
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| Assessing Their Financial Situation | |
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| Talking Things Through | |
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| Deciding Together Where They'll Live | |
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| Sorting It All Out | |
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| Estate Planning 101 | |
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| The Purpose of an Estate Plan | |
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| Why Everyone Should Have One | |
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| Choosing an Executor | |
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| Methods of Controlling Assets | |
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| Trusts | |
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| Gifting | |
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| Dying Without an Estate Plan | |
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| Ten Most Common Estate Planning Errors | |
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| Seeing Into Your Crystal Ball | |
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| What Lies Ahead for You and Your Family? | |
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| Planning Things You Want to Do | |
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| Some Misconceptions About Aging | |
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| Making Sure You Can Afford Your Dreams | |
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| Aging with Style | |
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| Appendixes | |
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| Glossary | |
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| Resources | |
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| Index | |