Description: Introduction. 1. Looking at the Bottom Line. What This Book Will Do for You. Why Life Planning Is Essential. What You Need to Know as a Woman. Why Women Fail to Plan. Walking Through the Financial-Planning Process. 2. Identifying What You Want from Life. What Dreams Do You Have? How Are You Going to Achieve Those Dreams? Women's Life Stages. 3. Figuring Out Where You Are. Net Worth. Cash Flow. Managing the Unforeseen: The Emergency Fund. How Much of This Stuff Should I Keep? 4. Help! I'm Drowning in Debt! I'm in Way over My Head. Good Debt vs. Bad Debt. Ridding Yourself of Bad Debt Without Bankruptcy. The Last Resort: Bankruptcy. What Does Your Credit History Look Like? Creating a Spending Plan. Painless Ways to Save. 5. Protecting Yourself and Your Assets: Buying Insurance. Managing Everyday Risks. What Kind of Insurance Do You Need? 6. Pay Only What's Due to Uncle Sam, No More! Understanding Your Tax Bracket. Tax Deductions. Tax Credits. Capital Gains Tax. Cashing In on the American Dream. Tax-Favored Investments. 7. Planning for the Golden Years. What Does the Ideal Retirement Look Like? Achieving the Ideal Retirement. Are You on Track? Obstacles Along the Way. 8. Providing the Glitter for the Golden Years. Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans. Self-Employment Retirement Plans. The High Cost of Waiting to Start. Making the Money Last as Long as You Do. 9. Social Security and You. A Brief History. Is Social Security Going to Hell in a Handbasket? Your Benefits. Retirement Benefits. Disability Benefits. What Women Need to Know. Household Workers. Medicare. 10. Achieving Your Goals Through Investing. Debt or Equity. What's a Stock? What's a Bond? What's a Mutual Fund? Risks and Rewards. Time Horizon Determines Risk Tolerance. Diversify, My Sisters. The Inflation Police. How to Measure Success. Using Benchmarks. 11. The Last Big Planning Hurdle: The Last Taboo. Everyone Needs Estate Planning. What It Could Cost. Where There's a Will, There's a Way. Tell 'Em What You Want to Tell 'Em. Trusting Your Assets to Trusts. Estate-Planning Tools You Need While Here on Earth. How to Give It Away. Go First Class or Your Heirs Will. 12. What You Need to Know as Somebody's Wife. Applying What You've Learned. Where Do We Keep Our Stuff? Taking a More Active Role. Understanding What He's Got. 13. What You Need to Know as Somebody's Ex-Wife. Applying What You've Learned. Alimony. Child Support. The Team. 14. What You Need to Know as Somebody's Widow. Applying What You've Learned. What to Do First. What's Needed Next. Probate and Taxes. What Not to Do. 15. What You Need to Know as Somebody's Daughter. Applying What You've Learned. Approaching Your Mom. Eldercare. Long-Term-Care Insurance. 16. What You Need to Know as Somebody's Mother. Applying What You've Learned. How Much Will It Cost to Raise a Kid? Paying for College. Teaching Your Kids About Money. Grandparents as Primary Caregivers. 17. What You Need to Know as Somebody's Partner. Applying What You've Learned. Children. Documents That Can Make It Easier. 18. The Hired Help. How Do You Get Good Help Today? What to Expect from the Help. What a Planner Expects of You. The Perfect Planner. Paying the Hired Help. What Will It Really Cost? Picking and Choosing. Checking Up on the Help. Appendix A: Worksheets. Appendix B: Glossary. Index.

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