One of the perennial questions that we field (this week from June and Jane) is how to select a financial advisor. The answer depends on each person's specific situation, but when in doubt, check out "How to Choose a Financial Advisor: 10 Questions to Ask".

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Mike and Robert want to know whether they are ready for retirement, while David and Myrna are seeking allocation advice. As a reminder, it's tough to provide allocations without knowing a lot about your personal circumstances, so if you are going to send us an e-mail, provide plenty of details.

Sheena is looking for alternative retirement vehicles to her Roth IRA; Pat  and Beverly asked about Social Security; and Ruth is concerned about the five-year look back associated with gifting.

We did a quick review of how to repair credit scores for Sharon and provided Tameka with steps to help  prioritize her financial life.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

Nearly five years after the end of the Great Recession, it's time to apply some of the lessons from the bad times to our lives. One of the most important facts we learned is that every job is at risk. How can you protect against this horrible truth? According to our guest Kimberly Palmer, the answer is within YOU.

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Kimberly is a blogger, writer and author of "The Economy of You: Discover Your Inner Entrepreneur and Recession-Proof Your Life" and she has some great ideas about how you can augment your income while doing something you actually enjoy!

That extra income might come in handy during retirement, which is something Helen could use. Meanwhile, Sally wants everyone to know that it IS POSSIBLE to save for retirement, even after a late start. Jeff has a question about SSDI, while David wants to know how to invest his $1,100,000 retirement nest egg.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

It's a long weekend for many financial markets across the world. To celebrate, we focus on big picture planning issues, like paying for college, avoiding the barrage of life insurance sales tricks and saving for retirement.

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Sharon is juggling debt pay down, retirement savings and saving for college, while Joel asked about refinancing his student loans. As a reminder, if you have federal student loans, you can find information about loan consolidation here.

Dan and his wife are adjusting to a lower income and trying to determine the best mix of retirement funds, while Matt and his wife spoke to a NAPFA advisor, who recommended consolidating investment accounts. His question: which company to keep?

Have you ever heard about something that sounds too good to be true? Marie asked about product that is essentially a life insurance product under a new, slick marketing wrapper. BEWARE!

We are always open to constructive criticism, which is why we spent time discussing complaints from a couple of listeners.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

With days to go before the tax filing deadline, don't fret! We have these Last Minute Tax Resources to help you with the process.

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Sandra, Roger, Julius and TC are all in different stages of retirement planning mode, while Ali, Barbara and Janet need help determining what kind of investment advisor makes sense for them, which led to a discussion about target date funds.

Are you in "Timeshare Hell" with caller Joyce? We try to help rescue her with some ways to exit these tough investments.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

• Follow Mark on Twitter: @MTalercio

Is your team out of the Final Four? Don't fret - we have a great show, where we dreamed about winning lotteries and planning retirement.

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Although Patricia is 15 years from retirement, she is planning ahead. We help her consider factors about a home purchase. Also planning ahead is Kathlyn, who wants to make sure she knows what to do if she were to win the lottery!

Pete and Kristen were talking about education funding, while Sandy and Jon are just starting their retirement savings process.

We dug into retirement numbers with Joe and helped Louise determine whether she needs long term care or disability insurance...or both!

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

• Follow Mark on Twitter: @MTalercio

Spring is in the air...which means that the tax filing deadline is around the corner. In addition to fielding lots of retirement and ed funding questions, we discuss audit red flags.

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The college acceptance letters are rolling in...now the hard part: paying for that coveted degree. Roy, Tom and Matthew all have questions about footing the bill for education.

Dick, Brian and Jay are trying to ascertain whether they are on sound enough financial ground for retirement; while Rob and Bola are just starting their retirement planning and need advice on the best vehicles to use.

Chris is seeking guidance on his old 401 (k) plan and Liz wants to know which retirement funds to tap for home improvement.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

In a sure sign of spring, bracketology is gripping the nation. In between basketball games, we're talking about retirement plans, investment allocation and marrying credit scores.

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Debi and her husband are retiring from the government in a couple of years and need some help with current allocation of their funds. On the other end of the spectrum, Meg and Justin are both starting out and need help with a target contribution level for their retirement accounts, while Tony has a question about his company's match.

Susan and Richard are weighing paying down their mortgages versus saving; Anna and Toni are trying to address retirement cash flow constraints; John and Bob have investment questions; and Christina and Marlene have credit questions on behalf of their relatives.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

Our guest MP Dunleavey recently wrote a great article in the New York Times called “Mars, Venus and the Handling of Money,” which discussed the way that men and women relate to money.

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While it’s not exactly breaking news that the sexes tend to address money issues from different perspectives, what is new is that the financial service industry is waking up and trying to address the plain fact that men and women have distinctive financial needs. MP tells us what we need to know and helps bridge the gap between how men and women can best use tap the services offered by the big companies.

Man, woman...we love all of our callers! Doris is looking for a place to invest her $100,000 inheritance -- should she use an immediate annuity? Susan is not happy with the performance of her investment advisor and wonders whether she should move her relationship elsewhere and Tim is about to start his own business…what does he need to know? (Answer: A LOT!)

A shout-out  to Ben, who passed along a suggestion for a great website www.splitwise.com that helps roommates who are trying to allocate expenses.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

One of our favorite guests, nationally-recognized credit expert John Ulzheimer joins the show to help us manage our all-important credit reports and scores and to guard against identity theft.

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John started by issuing a wake-up call: Every retailer's system is vulnerable, so we should assume that our information is out there. He then explained what you should do if you are the victim of identity theft or you think that your information has been compromised, highlighted by a great explanation of the difference between a credit freeze and credit monitoring. If you want to read more of  John's great work, check out his web site or follow him on Twitter.

Thanks to Diana, we were able to talk about less expensive options for investment management (try MarketRiders or Rebalance-IRA.com) and Evan brought up how to select the best funds within his 401K.

Dean works in law enforcement and wants to know whether he can afford to retire, while Don is not sure if he is required to take an RMD, because he is sill working.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

There is no doubt that the multi-year bull market in bonds has drawn to a close. But as interest rates begin to rise, what's a bond investor to do? We discuss how to manage your bond investments amid a rising interest rate environment.

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In addition to bonds, there other good sources of income for those in or near retirement. Rick will be relying on his pension and rental income and Rose may want to consider a reverse mortgage.

Although this has been a horrible winter, spring -- and the upcoming wedding season -- is just around the corner. We help Joe and Rachel prepare for their financial union and also guide Bob through his daughter's big day.

Bruce and Tim asked about Roth IRAs, which may provide great advantages beyond retirement.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

We were so fortunate to have retirement expert Mark Miller join the program to explain Social Security basics (which are always confusing!) and to provide an update about what the Affordable Care Act does for retirees who are pre-Medicare age.

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Mark is the editor and publisher of RetirementRevised.com, but as if that were not enough, he is also a journalist and author who writes for Reuters, Morningstar and anywhere else that a retirement guru is needed -- that means a lot of places!

While he was with us, Mark was able to clarify a couple of Twitter questions that came up after last week's show and provided advice to Gloria, Nancy and Neal.

In addition to Mark's great segments (spoiler alert: they are the first two segments of the second hour), we talked to Mary, who just rolled over all of her retirement money to Vanguard and Kathy, who is ready to put $5,000 to work.

Charles was thinking about refinancing his mortgage, but wondered whether he should skip the fees and just accelerate his pay down of the existing note.

Should Veronica use her new 401K, even though the investment options are lousy? We help her figure it out and then move on to long term care with Hannah and REITS with Mike.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

In between the Olympics and your binging on "House of Cards," check out this week's show! We move from college saving to retirement review what the new "MyRA" is all about.

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On this week's show, we help Gil and Evan manage their 529 plans and Jennifer to address the dreaded FAFSA form.

We also tackle Social Security questions with Dale and Joan and help Sheryl determine whether or not she needs a commission-based financial advisor.

And of course, 'tis the season...for taxes...we field  an interesting question from Ronnie about claiming her mother as a dependent.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

Take a break from the Olympics and check out this week's show, where we tackle a bunch of retirement questions and discuss how to boost credit scores.

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I want to admit something: I have deep, pension envy. You will hear it when I talk to Michelle and Mike, both of whom have terrific pensions that make retirement planning pretty darned sweet.

Kim and Kathy have similar concerns about how to boost their credit scores, now that they are in better financial shape. Meanwhile Frank and Mary need strategies to pay down debt.

On the investing front, Tom is ready to enter the world of riskier plays, while Andy is on the other end of the spectrum: he is considering his bond position with CDs.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

Evidently, there's a football game in New Jersey this weekend. Before you partake in the festivities, check out this week's show, where we are talking about how to select a financial advisor.

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Who better than Janet Stanzak, the president of the board of directors for the Financial Planning Association (FPA), to help guide us in the mission of identifying a financial advisor? Janet joined us to discuss the concept of "full and fair disclosure," which may be more important than comparing fee structures of various advice-givers.  While compensation is important, it is not the only thing people need to consider, according to Janet. She also went through some of the 35 questions to ask tool the FPA recommends people ask prospective financial advisers. If you are looking for an advisor, you can use the FPA Planner Search tool.

We fielded questions from Amanda and Leigh about inherited IRAs; Dennis and Mike, who wanted to know whether they had accumulated enough to consider retirement; and Carol and Tom, who both had questions about rolling over retirement accounts.

Lisa and Dan had education funding questions, which reminded me about FinAid.org, a fabulous college funding resource that super-smart Mark Kantrowitz founded.

By the way, here are those Super Bowl factoids that I sprinkled throughout the show:

• Players on the Super Bowl-winning team will make $92,000 each; losers $46,000
• Cost of a 30 second spot:  $4.5 million
• Economic impact on NY-NJ area: $194 million (versus the $500-$600 million that the NFL and politicians  have claimed)
• Who bets? Nearly 1/3 of U.S. adults are likely to wager on the big game, 92 percent of those surveyed said they've actually lost money gambling on the Super Bowl in the past
• The Super Bowl is the second highest day of food consumption in the US after Thanksgiving. (USDA)
• The average fan will consume 1200 calories and 50 grams of fat from snacks, NOT including the meal itself (Calorie Control Council and Snack Food Association)
• Chicken wings: Fans will chow down on 1.23 billion wings or more than 100 million pounds of wings
• Dominos estimates that it will deliver 11 million pieces of pizza to hungry viewers
• Antacids sales are expected to increase 20 percent on the day after Super Bowl

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

No matter where you are in your life, it's important to prioritize your financial goals and objectives. In this episode, we help listeners at different stages, understand how to make those important decisions.

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Mark from MN is trying to figure out the best way to finance his daughters' college educations, without draining too much from his retirement nest egg. David from TX is almost finished paying for his daughter's college and is wondering whether he and his wife can retire early.

After leading a debt-free life and shunning all loans, Brian is having a hard time purchasing a car, while Brad is wondering how to manage a lump sum insurance settlement.

We helped both Kristen and Angel think about how to prioritize debt pay down, establish emergency reserves and contribute to a retirement plan; Bob needed a strategy to redeem his E and EE savings bonds; and David wanted to know how to maximize his various retirement plan options.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

It is unbelievable that this is our 150th show. When we started this project three years ago, our goal was clear: to create a radio show for smart people, who need help with their financial lives. Mark and I are happy to report that our fan base has been better than we could have ever imagined--thank you all for listening!

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Throughout the program, we highlight the "14 Money Tips for 2014" and of course answer some great questions!

Linda is a retiree with ample income - does she really need a emergency reserve fund? Meanwhile, Jane and her husband wanted a reality check on whether they can afford early retirement, while Kim is wondering if its OK to buy her retirement dream condo a few years early.

Is it reasonable to dump a long-care policy when you are 77? Karen says that it's becoming increasingly difficult to pay the premiums on her fixed income.

Gary and Steven tell the flip sides of market timing: one waiting for stocks to correct last year, while the other was fortunate enough to invest in stocks last year, even through he probably should never have risked the money in the first place.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

In the post-Polar Vortex show, many of you want to know the answer to a simple question: "When can I retire?" The answer is different for everyone, but the basics are the same: (1) you need to know what your required income will be in retirement, (2) you should tally up what you can expect from pension and Social Security and (3) assume 3 to 3.5 percent annually from your investment accounts.

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I followed those three steps to help listeners Wayne and John figure out whether or not they can retire. In both cases, there was very good news!

Lyle asked about the consolidation and allocation of his retirement accounts, while Gary is trying to start over with a savings plan and Ralph wanted to know about the safety of various mutual fund companies. Neal might take a cue from Roger about rebalancing his various accounts--there are a bunch of companies that can assist investors (MarketRiders, Betterment)  for a reasonable monthly fee. Both Brian and Tracy asked about various types of financial advice. To great resources to find an advisor are: the Financial Planning Association, which has an easy-to-use tool and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA).

Bobby reminded us about the IRS' Saver's Credit and Richard likely needs to see an elder-care attorney to discuss options for his mother.

Dennis wrote to thank me for my two recent articles on estate planning: Estate Planning Basics and Estate Settlement Basics and Maria asked about Social Security Widow benefits.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

No gloating about those massive stock market gains of 2013...it's time to look ahead and plan for 2014 and beyond!

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Yes, it was the best year for US stocks since the 1990's, but that's cold comfort for diversified investors, who no doubt are feeling a bit of “asset class envy” right about now. Sure, your brain is telling you that the point of being diversified is that you have a mix of different asset classes included in your portfolio, some of which zig when others zag.  But we know how your heart is just pining to own “the right” asset class every year. Sadly, it's just not possible, so why not concentrate on the basics and quit the second-guessing?

This week's show was a perfect example of how core financial issues can be just as important as investment performance. Daryl asked about maintaining an old whole life insurance policy, while Fred is interested in long-term care insurance.

On the investment front, Gary wondered about index vs. managed funds; Peter is concerned about his muni bond fund; Mike is trying to diversify his portfolio in advance of retirement and Roy is attempting to find a financial advisor.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

While you are busily returning your holiday bling, tune into this week's show for some sound financial advice.

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There are just two business days left in the year, but there's still time to take advantage of money saving ideas before we ring in 2014. Check out these two posts for some ideas:

• Year-End Planning: Investing
• Year-End Planning: Benefits, Retirement

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

Hope we can keep you company as you race around the last days before Christmas! Remember, there's still time to do some last minute year-end planning, so check out the show!

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Mitch from MN and Mary from NC are finding that the much-lauded asset under management (AUM) model of advisory fees is not the best fit in every situation. If you are in the market for an advisor, here are some resources:

• 10 Questions to Ask Financial Advisors
• Financial Planning Association Planner Search
• NAPFA Planner serach

Francis from Boston asked about structured settlements, which led to the old saying that "If it's too good to be true..."

Ed and Ron weighed in with Social Security questions; Howard and Glen asked about estate planning; and Robert and Roy had retirement issues.

If you need year-end tips, check out these two posts:

• Year-End Planning: Investing
• Year-End Planning: Benefits, Retirement

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney