Illustrator CS4 For Dummies

Managing Your Money All-In-One for DUMmIES......Page 1
Contents at a Glance......Page 9
Table of Contents......Page 11
Introduction......Page 19
How This Book Is Organized......Page 20
3......Page 21
4......Page 22
5......Page 23
Where to Go from Here......Page 24
Taking Charge of Your Finances......Page 25
Assessing Where You Are Financially......Page 27
Your Relationship with Money......Page 28
Checking Out Your Credit Reports......Page 29
Finding Out Your FICO Score......Page 31
Comparing Spending and Income......Page 32
Assessing Your Spending Habits......Page 37
Cataloging What You Own......Page 39
Adding Up What You Owe......Page 41
Improving Your Relationship with Money......Page 45
Working with Your Partner to Achieve Financial Goals......Page 46
Believing in Yourself......Page 52
Handling Setbacks......Page 54
Asking for Help......Page 56
Digging Out of Debt......Page 57
Budgeting for the Future......Page 59
Building and Sticking to a Budget......Page 63
Comparing Monthly Spending and Income......Page 64
Tackling a Budget Deficit......Page 68
Paying the Important Stuff If You Can’t Pay Everything......Page 71
Examining a Budget Surplus......Page 73
Finalizing and Sticking to Your Budget......Page 74
Finding Ways to Spend Less......Page 79
Bringing in More Bucks......Page 91
Understanding Why a Credit Report Is Important......Page 99
What Is a Credit Report, Anyway?......Page 101
Understanding How Bad Stuff Gets in Your Credit Report......Page 104
Deciphering Your Credit Score......Page 108
Examining Specialized Credit Bureaus......Page 111
Managing Home and Personal Finances......Page 115
Reaching Out to Touch Someone......Page 117
Saving on Climate Control......Page 119
Cutting Back on Electricity and Gas Use......Page 124
Trash Talk: Controlling Garbage Costs......Page 126
Cutting Down on Water Use......Page 128
Keeping a Ceiling on Housing Budgets......Page 129
Cutting Transportation Costs......Page 133
Purchasing Appliances......Page 138
Home Ownership and Choosing the Right Mortgage......Page 141
Mortgage Basics......Page 142
Assessing Your Financial Situation......Page 143
Is a Fixed-Rate Mortgage in Your Future?......Page 148
Adjusting to an Adjustable-Rate Loan......Page 151
Deciding What Loan Is Best for You......Page 154
Avoiding Foreclosure......Page 157
Understanding That Mortgages Are a Different Credit Animal......Page 158
Alternatives to Going Down with the Ship......Page 165
Dealing with Deficiencies......Page 169
Saving on Medical Expenses......Page 171
Discovering What Makes a Great Health Insurance Plan......Page 173
Deciding Between Individual and Group......Page 174
Saving Money on Individual Coverage......Page 176
Coping with Health Insurance Problems......Page 179
Taking Decisive Action......Page 190
Using the Internet to Help Manage Your Finances......Page 195
Giving Yourself an Online Financial Makeover......Page 196
Using the Internet to Budget......Page 198
Finding Online Resources to Track Your Income and Expenses......Page 201
Using the Internet to Get Free Financial Advice......Page 203
Finding Out What You’re Worth......Page 204
Dealing with Debt......Page 207
Tackling What You Owe......Page 209
Taking Stock of Your Finances......Page 210
Using a Budget to Get Out of Debt......Page 211
Taking the Right Steps When You Have Too Much Debt......Page 212
Handling Debt Collectors......Page 214
Getting a Financial Education......Page 216
Understanding How Credit Works......Page 221
Defining Credit: Spending Tomorrow’s Money Today......Page 222
Meeting the Cast of Characters in the Credit Story......Page 224
Understanding the Consequences of Bad Credit......Page 226
Dealing with a Thin Credit File......Page 229
Identity Theft: The Crime That Turns Good Credit Bad......Page 231
Knowing When Debt Consolidation Makes Sense......Page 233
Considering Your Options......Page 234
Avoiding Dangerous Debt-Consolidation Possibilities......Page 244
Negotiating with Creditors and Getting Help......Page 245
Getting Ready to Negotiate......Page 246
Getting Down to Business: Contacting Creditors......Page 250
Making the Agreement Official: Putting It in Writing......Page 252
Knowing the Deal with Credit Counseling......Page 253
Finding a Reputable Credit Counseling Agency......Page 254
Working with a Credit Counselor......Page 258
Avoiding Debt Settlement Firms......Page 261
Getting Relief If You Get Ripped Off......Page 262
Considering Bankruptcy......Page 265
Viewing Bankruptcy in a Historical Context......Page 266
Debunking Bankruptcy Myths......Page 268
Understanding What You Can Gain Through Bankruptcy......Page 271
Knowing What You Can Lose in Bankruptcy......Page 276
Considering Alternatives to Bankruptcy......Page 277
Introducing the Different Types of Personal Bankruptcy......Page 278
Weighing the Consequences of Not Filing Bankruptcy......Page 279
Using the Statute of Limitations......Page 281
Saving and Investing......Page 283
Becoming a Saver......Page 285
Eliminating Most of the Fat......Page 286
Lowering Your Debt......Page 288
Changing Your Perspective and Watching Your Savings Grow......Page 290
Saving While in Debt......Page 296
Investing in Stocks, Bonds, and Mutual Funds......Page 299
Stock: Owning a Piece of the Rock......Page 300
Buying Bonds for Fixed Income......Page 304
Mutual Funds: The Power of Many......Page 308
Doing It Your Way Versus Using a Broker......Page 311
Five Common Investing Mistakes......Page 314
Saving for Retirement......Page 319
Setting a Target Date for Retirement......Page 320
Calculating the Size of Your Nest Egg......Page 325
Developing a Retirement Savings Plan......Page 329
Saving for College......Page 337
Doing the Numbers......Page 338
Exploring Section 529 Plans......Page 339
But Wait! There’s More!......Page 340
Maximizing Your Savings, Minimizing Your Tax......Page 342
Checking Out the Cost of College......Page 343
Looking into the Costs of Various Types of Schools......Page 347
Working with an Online Broker......Page 351
Sorting Them Out: Selecting an Online Broker......Page 352
Opening Your Online Brokerage Account......Page 359
Ready, Set, Go! Making Your First Online Trade......Page 360
Knowing When to Hold and When to Fold......Page 363
Protecting Your Money and Assets......Page 365
Combating Identity Theft......Page 367
Protecting Yourself from Identity Thieves......Page 368
Spotting Identify Theft When It Happens......Page 375
When Identity Theft Happens to You......Page 378
Accessing Credit after Identity Theft......Page 383
Online and Traditional Banks......Page 387
Accounting for Your Accounts......Page 389
Choosing an Online Bank That’s Right for You......Page 391
Opening Your Online Bank Account......Page 397
Introducing the Six Parts of a Homeowner’s Policy......Page 399
Choosing the Right Homeowner’s Property Coverages......Page 407
Establishing Property Coverage Limits......Page 410
Documenting Your Claim......Page 415
Managing Your Lawsuit Risks......Page 419
Insuring Your Personal Injuries......Page 425
Dealing with Damage to Your Vehicle......Page 429
Evaluating Road Service and Car Rental Coverages......Page 434
Assessing the Need......Page 435
Determining How Much Coverage You Need......Page 437
Speaking the Language......Page 439
Understanding the Types of Life Insurance......Page 441
Understanding the Variations of Permanent Life Insurance......Page 443
Understanding the Variations of Term Life Insurance......Page 449
Making Your Choice......Page 453
Evaluating Life Insurance Sources......Page 454
Debunking Myths and Mistakes......Page 458
Filing Federal Taxes......Page 463
Filing State Taxes......Page 465
Coming Up with Deductions......Page 466
Avoiding Tax Mistakes......Page 468
Facing the Dreaded Audit......Page 469
What Can Happen If You Don’t Pay on Time......Page 472
Coping with Interest and Penalties......Page 481
Dealing with Liens and Levies for Past-Due Taxes......Page 482
Getting Help......Page 487
Retiring Comfortably......Page 491
401( k) and 403( b) Retirement Investing......Page 493
What a 401( k) Does for You......Page 494
Saving Without Tears......Page 497
Letting the Pros Work for You......Page 498
Improving Your Chances of an Ideal Retirement......Page 499
Protecting Your Money......Page 500
Watching Out for Potential Pitfalls......Page 502
403( b): Different Name, Same Tax Breaks......Page 504
You Can: Contribution Info......Page 505
Trekking Through Your Investment Options......Page 506
Withdrawing Money: Watch Out for That Fee!......Page 507
Understanding ERISA Versus Non-ERISA 403( b) Plans......Page 508
Finding Out Rules for Church Plans......Page 510
Retiring Your Way: IRAs......Page 513
Why an IRA?......Page 514
The ABCs of IRAs......Page 515
Traditional IRAs......Page 521
Roth IRAs: The New Kid in Town......Page 523
Making the Most of Your IRA......Page 524
Understanding Reverse Mortgages......Page 527
Choosing a Loan Product......Page 532
Figuring Out the People in Your Mortgage......Page 533
Getting Paid......Page 537
Managing Money in Retirement......Page 541
Decisions, Decisions: What to Do with Your 401( k) Money......Page 542
Paying Uncle Sam His Due: Required Withdrawals......Page 545
Strategizing to Deal with the Tax Man......Page 547
Managing Investments in Retirement......Page 549
Managing Risk and Maximizing Return......Page 551
Living within Your Means for Life......Page 553
Generating Predictable Income......Page 555
Online Retirement Planning......Page 559
Pop Quiz: How Ready Are You for Retirement?......Page 560
Developing a Retirement Plan......Page 561
Using the Internet to Determine How Much You Need to Live On......Page 564
Saving for Retirement......Page 569
Planning Your Estate and Will......Page 575
Fundamentals of Estate Planning......Page 577
What Is an Estate?......Page 578
Why You Need to Plan Your Estate......Page 584
Why Your Estate-Planning Goals Differ from Your Neighbors’......Page 586
The Critical Path Method to Planning Your Estate......Page 588
Getting Help with Your Estate Planning......Page 590
Where There’s a Will......Page 597
Planning for Your Will......Page 598
Getting to Know the Different Types of Wills......Page 599
Choosing Your Will’s Contents......Page 602
Safeguarding Your Will......Page 608
Changing, Amending, and Revoking Your Will......Page 609
Protecting Your Loved Ones from Your Unloved Ones......Page 611
Figuring Out Your Will Status......Page 612
Making Your Peace with Statutes That Affect Your Will......Page 615
Identifying Statutes That Your Will Can Change......Page 616
Living ( And Dying) with the Laws That Your Will Can’t Change......Page 622
Calculating Your Estate’s Value Online......Page 629
Understanding Wills and Trusts......Page 630
Getting the Basics of Trusts......Page 633
Trusting in Living Trust to Avoid Probate......Page 634
Joint Tenancy and Beneficiary Arrangements......Page 636
Customizing Estate Planning for All Ages......Page 639
Selecting an Estate Planner......Page 642
Preparing to Meet Your Estate Planner......Page 643
626......Page 644
Understanding Power of Attorney......Page 645
Determining Necessity......Page 648
Finding an Elder Law Attorney......Page 651
Using a Living Trust as an Alternative......Page 654
Index......Page 657