DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - As if saving for retirement wasn't enough to worry about, now comes a study that shows a couple retiring this year needs about a quarter of a million dollars to cover medical expenses. ...more

March 29, 2009

In about 30 minutes, more than 200 Jesuit High students received a sobering yet hopeful speech on the economy and its future. ...more

February 18, 2009

The issue of saving for retirement has always spawned a lot of questions. People want to know how much money they need, where they should stash it, and how to make sure that it lasts as long as they do. ...more

December 21, 2008

The Crash of 2008, which is now wiping out trillions of dollars of our people's wealth, is, like the Crash of 1929, likely to mark the end of one era and the onset of another. ...more

September 23, 2008

The joy of grandparenting comes at a price for Dave and Nora Dacus, like many others who step up when a child's parents can't or won't. ...more

September 14, 2008

You're stressed. How do I know? Because my mailbox is overflowing with e-mail from people who are overwhelmed. ...more

August 24, 2008

When it comes to graduation gifts for high school or college students, many parents turn their thoughts to laptops, jewelry, luggage or cash. ...more

May 25, 2008

Some people enjoy the details in managing money: Shopping for the best interest rates. Balancing checkbooks to the penny. ...more

January 27, 2008

Before I vote, I want to be aware of how each candidate stands on the issues that are important to me. The more I know, the better my decision. I thought that I had planned well for my retirement. Now I find that rising prices for gasoline and everything else are cramping my style. The average family today does not have a pension plan like mine with a defined benefit. The average family is more concerned with paying today's bills than saving for tomorrow's retirement. Many will have to continue to work into their 70s and 80s. Which candidates are willing to take a stand to preserve Social Security without taking money out? Which candidates are willing to propose incentives for personal saving for retirement in addition to Social Security? The rising cost of health care concerns me, too. I am blessed with wonderful health insurance which covers my $100,000 per year prescription drug costs. What are the candidates proposals for providing health insurance to all Americans? Which candidates have a plan to reign in health care costs? ...more

January 25, 2008

The official savings rate remains stubbornly close to zero, mortgage and consumer debt leapt 7.4 percent in the 12 months through September, and the Pew Research Center recently reported that half of Americans rate their finances as fair or poor. ...more

January 20, 2008