Dean Financial Services

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Business Owner
 Articles
  Benefits and retirement plans
   Benefit plans for small businesses
   Disability income insurance for the self-employed
   Group health insurance: a valued employee benefit
   Group term life insurance
   Health insurance for the self-employed
   Key employee life and disability insurance
   Life insurance for the self-employed
   Offering group disability insurance
   Retirement plans for small businesses
   Split dollar insurance plans
   Understanding individual 401(k) plans
   What employers need to know about workers' compensation insurance
  Insuring a business
   Business automobile insurance basics
   Business interruption insurance
   Business liability insurance basics
   Business overhead expense insurance
   Commercial general liability
   Do you need crime insurance?
   Income tax tips: business insurance
   Insurance tips for business travelers
   Insuring your home business
   Professional liability coverage
   Properly insuring your business
   Should you self-insure your business?
   Understanding your business owners policy
   Why insure your business?
  Starting a business
   Advantages and disadvantages of self-employment
   Choosing an entity for your business
   Funding a business
   Hiring your first employee
   Qualifying for the home office deduction
   Record keeping for your own business
   Starting or buying a business
   Tax planning for the self-employed
  Transferring or selling a business
   Transferring your family business
 Decision Tools
  Business planning basics
   2003 numbers
   Net worth calculator
  Tax planning
   Accelerating deductions/postponing income
   Accelerating income/postponing deductions
  Transferring or selling a business
   Business succession planning alternatives
   Business succession strategy analyzer
   Buy-sell agreement analyzer
   Buy-sell planning questionnaire
   Planning for succession of a business interest
 FAQs
  Advertising a business
   How can I get free publicity for my business?
   How do I know where to advertise my business?
   What is the best form of advertising?
  Employee benefits and other issues
   How can I boost the morale of my employees without incurring huge expenses?
   How can I find good employees for my business?
   What are health reimbursement arrangements?
   What are incentive stock options (ISOs)?
   What benefits should I offer to my employees?
  Home-based businesses
   Can I deduct home office expenses?
   If I work at home occasionally, am I entitled to a home office deduction?
  Incorporating a business
   Can I change my business from a C corporation to an S corporation?
   Can I change my business from an S corporation to a C corporation?
   Should I incorporate my business?
  Starting a business
   Don't most small businesses fail?
   How do I find good advisors such as lawyers and accountants to help with my business?
   Is buying a franchise a good way to get into business?
   Should I buy an existing business or start from scratch?
   Should I buy or lease assets for my business?
   What are the stages of business development?
   What should I look for in a business location?
 
Education Planning
 Articles
  Education planning basics
   ABCs of financial aid
   Can I afford to send my child to college?
   Education tax credits
   Finding money to pay college bills out of pocket
   Going back to school as an adult
   Health insurance for college students
   Helping your child make the transition from high school to college
   How student loans impact your credit
   Research tips when choosing a college
   Saving for retirement and a child's education at the same time
   Sticker shock--creative ways to lower the cost of college
   Student loan basics
   The best ways to save for college
   The college application process
 Decision Tools
  Determining how much to save for college
   College savings analyzer
   Finding the funds to pay for a college education
   Higher education figures at-a-glance
  Evaluating college savings options
   Advantages and disadvantages of 529 plans
   Advantages and disadvantages of Coverdell education savings accounts
   Advantages and disadvantages of custodial accounts for college savings
   Advantages and disadvantages of U.S. savings bonds for college savings
   College funding options analyzer
   College savings vehicles compared
  Financial aid
   College application and financial aid calendar
   Comparison of federal higher education loans
   Financial aid calendar
  Tax issues
   Comparison of education tax credits and deductions
   Qualified education expenses defined
   Summary of tax-advantaged college savings options
 FAQs
  Applying to college
   How many colleges should my child apply to?
   When are college applications due?
  College costs
   Are there any ways to lower the cost of college?
   What expenses are included in the annual cost of college?
   What is the college inflation rate?
  Education tax credits
   Now that my child is in college, am I entitled to any education tax credits?
   What are the Hope credit and the Lifetime Learning credit?
  Financial aid
   Are any financial aid programs tailored especially to parents of post-secondary students?
   Are there any assets that are not counted for financial aid purposes?
   Can an UGMA/UTMA account reduce my child's financial aid for college?
   Can anyone get a Pell Grant?
   Can we negotiate our child's financial aid award?
   Do colleges offer financial aid?
   How can my child find scholarships for college?
   How do I apply for financial aid?
   How do I know if I'm eligible for federal financial aid?
   How does the federal financial aid process work?
   Is there anything I can do now so that my child can obtain more financial aid later?
   What are the major federal financial aid loan programs?
   What happens if our child's college does not give us all the financial aid we need?
   What is a Stafford Loan?
  Paying for college
   I've heard that a grandparent can pay a grandchild's tuition directly to the college without any gift tax problems. Is this true?
   Should I take out a home equity loan to pay for my child's tuition?
   Should I use my 401(k) to fund my child's college education?
   Should I withdraw money from my IRA to pay for my child's college tuition?
  Student loans
   Are my student loan payments tax deductible?
   Can I refinance my student loan?
   How will I ever pay off my student loans?
   I'm having trouble paying my student loans. What should I do?
   Is student loan interest deductible?
   Should I pay off my student loans early with a home equity loan?
 
Estate Planning
 Articles
  Charitable giving
   Charitable giving
   Life insurance and charitable giving
  Estate planning basics
   Estate planning--an introduction
   Gift and estate taxes
   Trust basics
  Medicaid planning
   Medicaid and nursing home care
   Medicaid and the principal residence
   Medicaid planning basics
 Decision Tools
  Charitable giving
   How a charitable remainder trust works
   The best property to give to charity
  Estate planning basics
   Federal estate tax estimator
   Federal transfer tax exemption amounts under the Tax Act of 2001
   Table of federal estate tax brackets and exemption limits
  Probate
   The probate process: initial tasks
 FAQs
  Estate and gift tax
   I just made a gift. Do I have to file a gift tax return?
  Estate planning basics
   What makes up my taxable estate?
  Probate
   Does property owned jointly avoid probate?
   What is probate and why do I want to avoid it?
 
Government Benefits
 Articles
  Medicare and Medicaid
   Coordinating long-term care insurance with government benefits
   Health insurance in retirement
   Medicaid and nursing home care
   Medicaid and the principal residence
   Medicaid planning basics
   Medicare
  Other government benefits
   Government-sponsored disability insurance programs
   Receiving unemployment benefits
   What employers need to know about workers' compensation insurance
  Social Security
   Social Security disability benefits
   Social Security retirement benefits
   Social Security survivor's benefits
   Understanding Social Security
 Decision Tools
  Medicare and Medicaid
   Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care
   Medicare figures at-a-glance
   Medicare, Medigap, and Medicaid
  Social Security
   Disability income needs worksheet
   How earnings affect Social Security
   Social Security disability insurance (SSDI): awards and applications illustrator
   Social Security figures at-a-glance
   Sources of retirement income: filling the Social Security gap
   What are your chances of becoming disabled?
 FAQs
  Medicare and Medicaid
   How do I enroll in Medicare?
   How does Medicare Advantage work?
   I'm putting money into a 529 plan for my grandchild. But are the 529 assets subject to Medicaid spend-down requirements?
   I'm thinking about placing my mother in a nursing home. Will Medicaid pay for her care?
   If I'm covered by Medicare, should I have additional health insurance?
  Social Security
   Are my Social Security benefits subject to income tax?
   Does my 16-year-old have to pay Social Security tax on her earnings?
   How can I get an estimate of my Social Security benefits?
   How do I get disability benefits from Social Security?
   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?
   Should I retire now at age 62 and collect Social Security benefits, or should I wait until age 65?
   When do I have to apply for a Social Security number for my newborn?
 
Personal Finance
 Articles
  Buying a car
   ABCs of auto insurance
   Buying a car
   GAP insurance
   How safe is that new car?
 Decision Tools
  Owning a car
   Auto insurance analyzer
   Auto loan payment calculator
   How to save money on your auto insurance
   Should you buy or lease your car?
  Owning a home
   Is my home mortgage interest fully deductible?
   Less common mortgage options
   Mortgage payment calculator
   Popular types of mortgages
   Should you refinance your mortgage?
 FAQs
  Buying, selling, or leasing a car
   How much will my monthly car payment be?
   Is there any way to get out of a car lease?
   Should I buy or lease a car?
   Should I pay cash for a car or finance it?
  Mortgages
   Can my mortgage lender require me to have an escrow account?
   I am behind on my mortgage payments. Will my lender begin foreclosure proceedings?
   My mortgage includes a statement that a penalty may be imposed for early payoff. What does that mean?
   Should I pay off my student loans early with a home equity loan?
   Should I take out a home equity loan to pay for my child's tuition?
   What are the advantages of making biweekly mortgage payments?
   What's involved in getting a VA mortgage?
   What's the difference between a home equity line of credit and a second mortgage?
   Which mortgage is better--fixed rate or adjustable?
   Why do I have to purchase homeowners insurance in order to obtain a mortgage?
  Selling a home
   How do I figure the tax on the sale of my home?
   I'm having a hard time selling my home. Should I take out a reverse mortgage?
   Should I sell or rent out my present home?
 
Protection Planning
 Articles
  Business insurance
   Business interruption insurance
   Business liability insurance basics
   Business overhead expense insurance
   Life insurance for the self-employed
   What employers need to know about workers' compensation insurance
   Why insure your business?
  General insurance topics
   Buying insurance: what savvy consumers should know
   Umbrella liability insurance
   Why buy insurance?
  Long-term care insurance
   Five things to watch out for when buying long-term care insurance
   Long-term care insurance: how does it work?
   Should you buy long-term care insurance?
   Tax tips: long-term care insurance
   Understanding long-term care riders and options
   Using life insurance riders to pay for long-term care
   What do long-term care insurance policies cover?
 Decision Tools
  Business insurance
   Business life insurance needs
   How cross purchase plans work
   How entity purchase plans work
   How insurance preserves assets
   Number of policies needed with a cross purchase plan
  Homeowners insurance
   Disaster checklist
   Fall/winter home maintenance checklist
   Home inventory checklist
   Homeowners insurance quiz
   How to save money on your homeowners insurance
   Personal liability umbrella insurance
 FAQs
  Business insurance
   How can I get affordable health insurance if I'm self-employed?
   I own a business. Are there any creative ways I can use life insurance in my business?
   What kind of insurance coverage do I need for my small business?
 
Retirement Planning
 Articles
  Social Security
   Social Security retirement benefits
   Understanding Social Security
 Decision Tools
  401(k) plans
   401(k) plans
   Individual 401(k) Illustration
   Should you save in a 401(k) or a Roth IRA?
  Health care issues
   Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care
   Medicare figures at-a-glance
   Medicare, Medigap, and Medicaid
  IRAs
   IRA eligibility flowchart: 2005
   Roth IRA: how much can you contribute in 2005?
   Traditional IRA future value calculator
   Traditional IRA required minimum distribution illustrator
   Traditional IRA: how much can you contribute and deduct in 2005?
  Social Security
   How earnings affect Social Security
   Social Security figures at-a-glance
 FAQs
  Employer-sponsored retirement plans
   Can I roll a retirement plan distribution into an IRA?
   Can I still have a traditional IRA if I contribute to my 401(k) plan at work?
   Should I contribute to my 401(k) plan at work?
   What are my options if I inherit an IRA or employer-sponsored plan?
   What is vesting?
  Health care issues
   Can I deduct premiums paid for long-term care (LTC) insurance?
   How do I enroll in Medicare?
   Should I buy long-term care insurance?
   What is long-term care insurance?
  IRAs
   Can I avoid the 10 percent penalty tax for early withdrawals from a traditional IRA?
   Can I contribute to a Roth IRA?
   Can I set up a traditional IRA?
   Can I shift my traditional funds to a Roth IRA?
   Can I still have a traditional IRA if I contribute to my 401(k) plan at work?
   I need money--can I take funds from my IRA?
   Should I invest in a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA?
   What are required minimum distributions and how are they calculated?
  Social Security
   Are my Social Security benefits subject to income tax?
   How can I get an estimate of my Social Security benefits?
   Should I retire now at age 62 and collect Social Security benefits, or should I wait until age 65?
   When I retire, how much will I receive from Social Security?
 
Special Situations
 Articles
  Caring for an aging parent
   Caring for your aging parents
   Do your parents need long-term care insurance?
   Facing the possibility of incapacity
   Housing options for older individuals
   Medicaid and nursing home care
   Medicaid and the principal residence
   Medicaid planning basics
   The sandwich generation: juggling family responsibilities.
  Loss of a spouse
   Claiming life insurance benefits
   Organizing your finances when your spouse has died
   Social Security survivor's benefits
 Decision Tools
  Caring for an aging parent
   Housing options for aging parents
   Tips for caregivers
  Insurance basics
   Auto insurance analyzer
   Comparison of types of life insurance
   Disability income needs worksheet
   Homeowners insurance quiz
   Life insurance needs analyzer
   Which health plan is right for you?
 
Tax Planning
 Articles
  General tax planning
   Am I having enough withheld?
   Choosing an income tax filing status
   Help! I can't pay my tax bill
   Income tax planning and 529 plans
   Surviving an audit
   Tax benefits of home ownership
   Tax planning for income
   Tax planning for the self-employed
   Year-end tax planning
  Tax credits and deductions
   Education tax credits
   Personal deduction planning
   Qualifying for the home office deduction
   Understanding personal tax credits
  Taxes and insurance
   Tax planning tips: auto insurance
   Tax planning tips: disability insurance
   Tax planning tips: life insurance
   Tax tips: health insurance
   Tax tips: homeowners insurance
   Tax tips: long-term care insurance
 Decision Tools
  General tax planning
   Accelerating deductions/postponing Income
   Accelerating income/postponing deductions
   Federal individual income tax fundamentals
  Tax credits and deductions
   Comparison of education tax credits and deductions
   General business tax credits
   Is my home mortgage interest fully deductible?
   Tax credit sampler
 FAQs
  General tax planning
   Am I having enough tax withheld from my paycheck?
   Are my Social Security benefits subject to income tax?
   Are scholarships and grants subject to federal income tax?
   Do I have to file a federal income tax return?
   My spouse passed away this year. When I file my taxes, what filing status should I claim?
   What is my tax bracket?
   What is the basis of property received as a gift?
   What penalties and interest will I be charged for paying and filing my federal income taxes late?
  Tax credits
   Can I take the credit for the elderly or disabled?
   Can I take the tax credit for child care?
   Now that my child is in college, am I entitled to any education tax credits?
   What are the Hope credit and the Lifetime Learning credit?
   What is the child tax credit?
   What is the difference between the child tax credit and the child and dependent care tax credit?
  Tax deductions
   Can I deduct home office expenses?
   Can I deduct premiums paid for long-term care (LTC) insurance?
   Can I deduct the cost of improvements or repairs I've made to my home?
   How do I deduct and substantiate my gambling losses?
   I paid my mother's real estate taxes last year. Can I deduct this on my tax return?
   I refinanced my principal home last year and paid points. What are points, and can I deduct them on my tax return?
   If I prepay next year's taxes this year, can I deduct them this year?
   If I work at home occasionally, am I entitled to a home office deduction?
   Is student loan interest deductible?
   My spouse and I are filing separate returns. Can we both itemize our deductions? If so, how do we split the deductions?
   My town has assessed against me a real estate betterment for new sewer lines installed in my street. May I deduct this amount on my tax return?
   We just bought our first home. What can we deduct from the settlement statement?
  Taxes and child support/alimony
   Are alimony payments considered taxable income?
   What are the tax implications of child support payments?
  Taxes and home ownership
   Can I deduct the cost of improvements or repairs I've made to my home?
   How do I figure the tax on the sale of my home?
   I refinanced my principal home last year and paid points. What are points, and can I deduct them on my tax return?
   I rent my home out for two weeks each year. Do I have to show this rental income on my federal income tax return?
   If I prepay next year's taxes this year, can I deduct them this year?
   My town has assessed against me a real estate betterment for new sewer lines installed in my street. May I deduct this amount on my tax return?
   We just bought our first home. What can we deduct from the settlement statement?
  Taxes and insurance proceeds
   Are life insurance proceeds income taxable?
   I receive disability insurance payments. Are they taxable?