FAQs
Career planning
I’ll be changing jobs next month, and I’m pregnant. Will I qualify for health insurance coverage with my new employer?
I’m getting laid off. How am I going to survive financially until I find another job?
I’m looking for a job. How can I tell if an employer is offering a good insurance benefit package?
If I leave my company, can I take my life insurance policy with me?
If I leave my job, will I lose my employer-sponsored health insurance?
If my employer goes out of business and discontinues its health insurance plan, am I still eligible for COBRA benefits?

Caring for an aging parent
How can I pay for nursing home care?
How can I tell if a nursing home provides high-quality care?
How do I talk to my elderly parents about their finances?
I paid my mother’s real estate taxes last year. Can I deduct this on my tax return?
I’m planning to add an in-law apartment to my home. How will this affect my homeowners insurance?
I’m thinking about placing my mother in a nursing home. Will Medicaid pay for her care?
Is there such a thing as nursing home insurance?
My mother is 90. Is it OK for her to keep driving?
My parents can’t manage alone anymore. What should I do?
What types of nursing care does long-term care insurance cover?

Consumer protection
How can I protect myself against identity theft?
How do I stop those annoying telemarketing calls?
My radio broke two months after I bought it. I tried to return it to the store, but it won’t give me a refund. What can I do to get my money back?

Divorce
Are alimony payments considered taxable income?
How do I protect my assets in the event of a divorce?
My husband and I are divorcing after 30 years of marriage. Will I still be able to receive Social Security retirement benefits based on his earnings record after our divorce?
My husband and I are getting divorced. How do we decide whose health insurance policy will cover the children?
What are the tax implications of child support payments?

Loss of a spouse
How can I find out whether my deceased husband owned any life insurance?
My husband just died. Should I accept my daughter’s offer to move in with her?
My spouse just died. Who do I need to notify?
My spouse passed away this year. When I file my taxes, what filing status should I claim?

Marriage
Am I liable for my spouse’s debts?
I’m marrying someone with bad credit. How will this affect me?
Should I open a joint checking account with my spouse?
Should my spouse and I integrate our health insurance benefits?

Planning for travel
Do I have to pay U.S. taxes when I work abroad?
Does my auto insurance policy cover me on car trips outside the United States?
I’m going on a cruise. Do I need trip interruption insurance?
I’m planning on living in Europe for several months. Do I need special health insurance?
I’m traveling to Europe this summer and won’t need my car. Can I get my auto insurance suspended to save money?
Should I buy travel insurance?

Raising a family
Can I take the tax credit for child care?
Does it make sense financially for both me and my spouse to work after our child is born?
How do I find quality child care?
How do I pay for child care?
My employer says that after my child is born, I have to come back in six weeks. But doesn’t the law say that I’m entitled to three months of leave?
Should I buy life insurance on my child?
What is the difference between the child tax credit and the child and dependent care tax credit?
When do I have to apply for a Social Security number for my newborn?
Who should I name as guardian of my children in case my spouse and I should die at the same time?

Remarriage
I’m getting remarried. How will this affect my Social Security benefits?
Should I sign a prenuptial agreement to protect my assets when I remarry?

Sudden wealth
What’s the best way to handle a financial windfall?
When I play the lottery, I have to choose between a lump sum and annual payments. Does it matter?

Terminal illness
Is there any way I can use life insurance to help cover my expenses if I become terminally ill?

Unmarried couples
Should my partner and I buy a house together even though we’re not married?
Will my group health insurance cover my partner, even though we’re not married?