The number of reverse mortgages backed by the government jumped nearly 20 percent in March and April alone from the same period in 2008. At a time when seniors have seen their retirement assets depleted by market losses, tapping home equity has been a safety net.  But it can be a risky one.  If your... 

With so many investors and their advisors questioning traditional market thinking about index-based investing, exchange traded funds (ETFs) are starting to move beyond their traditional passive, index territory into more active management.  To some, it’s a fad. To others, it’s a serious... 

Even as the economy shows a few glimmers of improvement, most economists expect some continuation of job, pay and benefits cuts to continue throughout the year.  What can you do about these moves, even if they’re still in the rumor stage? Hold a family meeting: Talking about money issues is a... 

The death of a loved one is a paralyzing event. Many survivors find it difficult, if not impossible to start dealing with the financial afterlife of a spouse even if they’ve planned extraordinarily well. Consider then, the one single element that can turn this difficult process into a lengthy nightmare... 

The unpredictability of the markets and the economy has reset plenty of retirement plans, and that’s been especially true for business owners.  Business owners on the brink of retirement are facing potentially the worst conditions for selling or handing off a business in decades. But their circumstance... 

The mass Baby Boomer retirement anticipated over the next 20-30 years is expected to create an overall U.S. labor shortage of 35 million workers. That’s potentially good news for future retirees who either want to work or need to work due to the recent investment downturn. A recent study by Hewitt... 

The weather’s great, so staying inside with your finances probably doesn’t sound like a very entertaining option. But a midyear review of your tax situation, retirement and spending issues can be far more valuable than the rushed attempt most people make at the end of the year-or when it’s... 

The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education reported last December that college tuition and fees increased 439 percent from 1982 to 2007 while median family income rose 147 percent. The report also noted that student borrowing has almost doubled since 1998. The most worrisome statement... 

The adjustment to the loss of a loved one is hard enough without the inevitable workload of settling their affairs. Even if they don’t have much in the way of assets, the process takes time – typically up to a year. It makes sense to get advice from tax, estate and financial planning experts... 

As the economy has worsened, not only have retirement funds dropped in value with the market, but also many people have been tempted to tap savings as a way to cut debt or otherwise shore up their finances after a job loss. Still more have found that employers have dropped matching contributions to shore...