Planning Tools

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     Insuring a business       Business automobile insurance basics       Business interruption insurance       Business liability insurance basics       Business overhead expense insurance       Commercial general liability       Do you need crime insurance?       Income tax tips: business insurance       Insurance tips for business travelers       Insuring your home business       Professional liability coverage       Properly insuring your business       Should you self-insure your business?       Understanding your business owners policy       Why insure your business?     Transferring or selling a business       Funding a buy-sell agreement with disability insurance       Funding a buy-sell agreement with life insurance       Transferring your family business   Decision Tools     Benefits and retirement plans       401(k) plans       Building a retirement plan for your business       Comparison of types of educational assistance       Individual 401(k) Illustration     Business planning basics       Net worth calculator     Insurance planning       Business life insurance needs       Number of policies needed with a cross purchase plan     Tax planning       Accelerating deductions/postponing income       Accelerating income/postponing deductions     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     Advertising a business       How can I get free publicity for my business?       How do I know where to advertise my business?       What is the best form of advertising?     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?     Home-based businesses       Can I deduct home office expenses?       If I work at home occasionally, am I entitled to a home office deduction?     Insurance coverage       A cell phone and laptop computer owned by my company were inside my briefcase when it was stolen. Will my company's insurance cover the loss?       Can I get disability insurance if I'm self-employed?       I drive my own car on company business. Whose insurance will pay for damages if I get into an accident?       I own a business. Are there any creative ways I can use life insurance in my business?       I use my laptop computer for my home business. Is it covered under my homeowners policy?       I'm an independent contractor. Where can I get health and disability insurance?       I'm thinking about opening a day-care business in my home. Does this raise any insurance issues?       What is errors and omissions insurance?       What is stop-loss insurance?       What kind of insurance coverage do I need for my small business?     Noncompetition agreements       I am buying a business. Can I make the seller sign a noncompetition agreement?       My employer wants me to sign a noncompetition agreement. What is it? Is it legally binding?       Why does the buyer of my business want me to sign a noncompetition agreement?     Partnerships       How does a limited partnership work?     Raising capital       Can I borrow money from my wholly owned business?       How can I raise capital for my business?     Transferring or selling a business       Can I transfer my business through my will?       How can I keep my business in the family?       What are some financing options for selling my business?       What is a buy-sell agreement?       What is a family limited partnership, and will it help reduce estate taxes?     Valuing a business       How can I determine what my business is worth for estate and gift tax purposes?   Education Planning   Articles     529 plans       529 plans and financial aid eligibility       529 plans vs. other college savings options       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       Going back to school as an adult       Health insurance for college students       Helping your child make the transition from high school to college       How student loans impact your credit       Research tips when choosing a college       Saving for retirement and a child's education at the same time       Sticker shock--creative ways to lower the cost of college       Student loan basics       The best ways to save for college       The college application process   Decision Tools     529 plans       529 plans vs. Coverdell education savings accounts       529 plans: advisor-sold state savings plans       529 plans: direct-sold state savings plans       529 plans: prepaid tuition plans       State savings plan nonqualified withdrawals calculator       State savings plans vs. prepaid tuition plans     Determining how much to save for college       College savings analyzer       Finding the funds to pay for a college education       Higher education figures at-a-glance     Evaluating college savings options       Advantages and disadvantages of 529 plans       Advantages and disadvantages of Coverdell education savings accounts       Advantages and disadvantages of custodial accounts for college savings       Advantages and disadvantages of U.S. savings bonds for college savings       College funding options analyzer       College savings vehicles compared     Financial aid       College application and financial aid calendar       Comparison of federal higher education loans       Financial aid calendar     Tax issues       Comparison of education tax credits and deductions       Qualified education expenses defined       Summary of tax-advantaged college savings options   FAQs     529 plan basics       Do 529 plans include both state savings plans and prepaid tuition plans?       How long have 529 plans been around?       How many states currently have 529 plans?       What can you tell me about employer-sponsored 529 plans?       What is the Independent 529 Plan?       What's the difference between state savings plans and prepaid tuition plans?       Who can legally offer 529 plans?       Why are these plans referred to as "529" plans?     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?   Estate Planning   Articles     Assets       Asset protection in estate planning       Estate planning and 529 plans       Transferring your family business     Beneficiary designations       Choosing a beneficiary for your IRA or 401(k)       Designating a beneficiary for life insurance     Charitable giving       Charitable giving       Life insurance and 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     Life insurance       Life insurance and estate planning       Life insurance and terminal illness       Life insurance: do you need it?       Planning ahead for life insurance proceeds       The ins and outs of policy ownership     Medicaid planning       Medicaid and nursing home care       Medicaid and the principal residence       Medicaid planning basics     Probate       Bypassing probate       Understanding probate   Special Situations   Articles     Caring for an aging parent       Caring for your aging parents       Do your parents need long-term care insurance?       Facing the possibility of incapacity       Housing options for older individuals       Medicaid and nursing home care       Medicaid and the principal residence       Medicaid planning basics       The sandwich generation: juggling family responsibilities.     Divorce       Dealing with divorce       Health insurance and divorce       Insurance concerns of divorcing couples     Marriage       Establishing a budget       Getting started: establishing a financial safety net       Merging your money when you marry     Raising a family       Baby on board: keeping your child safe in the car       How much life insurance do you need?       Planning a family? Get to know your health insurance policy       Teaching your child about money       Teaching your college-age child about money       Teaching your teen about money       When your child has special needs   Tax Planning   Articles     General tax planning       Am I having enough withheld?       Choosing an income tax filing status       Help! I can't pay my tax bill       Income tax planning and 529 plans       Surviving an audit       Tax benefits of home ownership       Tax planning for income       Tax planning for the self-employed       Taxation of investments       Year-end tax planning     Tax credits and deductions       Education tax credits       Personal deduction planning       Qualifying for the home office deduction       Understanding personal tax credits     Taxes and insurance       Income tax tips: business insurance       Tax planning for annuities       Tax planning tips: auto insurance       Tax planning tips: disability insurance       Tax planning tips: life insurance       Tax tips: health insurance       Tax tips: homeowners insurance       Tax tips: long-term care insurance   Decision Tools     General tax planning       Accelerating deductions/postponing Income       Accelerating income/postponing deductions       Federal individual income tax fundamentals       Remarriage with children: income tax considerations     Tax credits and deductions       Comparison of education tax credits and deductions       General business tax credits