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Personal Finance FAQs

  1. If my spouse passes away, will I have to sell my home to meet creditor obligations?

  2. Should I pull my money out of an annuity if the insurance company is having financial problems?

  3. How do I value the shares that I own in a private company?

  4. Where did the term "tenbagger" originate?

  5. Does a company logo change require a material disclosable event?

  6. What is an elimination period?

  7. Is there a limit on the amount of disability insurance that I can buy?

  8. What changes might I need to make to my insurance?

  9. How much life insurance is enough?

  10. What are the benefits of credit ratings?

  11. How do I stop emotional spending?

  12. When is the best time to purchase long-term care insurance?

  13. Which insurance policies do I really need?

  14. What documents should I have ready in case my partner or I should die?

  15. Which of the following accounts does ERISA cover?

  16. Will Medicare pay for long-term costs?

  17. How is my insurance premium calculated?

  18. What is the "three-legged stool"?

  19. Why might one insurance policy cost more than another?

  20. Is it possible to short sell real estate?

  21. Which of the following BEST describes a wash sale?

  22. What is long-term care insurance?

  23. What is indexed universal life insurance?

  24. What is pension maximization?

  25. Is it wise to put an IRA account into a fixed or variable annuity?

  26. What is moral hazard?

  27. Which statement(s) is/are FALSE about market risk?

  28. What is long-term care?

  29. Is there a correlation between inflation and house prices?

  30. What are activities of daily living (ADL)?

  31. What was the first company with a $1 billion market cap?

  32. Why should I invest in the market when I can buy and sell houses or cars?

  33. What are some cheaper alternatives to sending children to summer camp?

  34. Is there short selling in China?

  35. A lot of retirement projections seem to assume an 8% rate of return. Is this realistic?

  36. What is a "phishing scam" and how can they be avoided?

  37. How did Dow Chemical defeat an international monopoly in the 1900s?

  38. What's the difference between EBITDA, EBITDAR and EBITDARM?

  39. Why does the IRS withhold income taxes from employee paychecks?

  40. Do nonprofit organizations pay taxes?

  41. Should a Canadian citizen who lives and works in the U.S. continue to contribute to a RRSP account?

  42. When is it a good idea to take out a loan to invest?

  43. Why are credit cards able to charge such high interest rates compared to other lenders?

  44. I overcontributed to my Roth, then lost half of this money to the market. Does the 6% penalty apply to my original contribution, or only what's left of it?

  45. What is the difference between a gilt edged bond and a regular bond?

  46. Why is Frank Quattrone credited with contributing to the growth of the dotcom bubble?

  47. What is cliff vesting?

  48. Which credit card company holds the honor of most profitable IPO?

  49. What is a "force majeure"?

  50. Why is a "hockey stick bid" considered fraudulent?

  51. How do I use a conduit IRA?

  52. What does it mean when advertisers say that "financing is available"? Should I trust them to give me a good deal?

  53. Do I still have to pay penalties and taxes on money that I don't roll over from a DROP fund?

  54. We are in a 401(k) at work. Can we also do a Roth each year? If we can, can it also be deducted from our taxes?

  55. A customer has the following in his long margin account. Market value: $18,000, debit balance: $10,000 and SMA: $2,000. How much of the SMA may be used to purchase additional securities?

  56. How do companies like Moody's rate bonds?

  57. Is a person an active participant in an employer-sponsored retirement plan if he or she was only active for a short time?

  58. What is the difference between inflation and stagflation?

  59. What is the history behind today's bankruptcy laws?

  60. What are the penalties for withdrawing from my Traditional IRA less than a year after acquisition?

  61. What business processes were used to establish the Chevrolet motor company?

  62. Am I entitled to any of my ex-spouse's retirement plan benefits?

  63. What happens when someone is given the golden boot?

  64. How did currency trader John Rusnak hide $691 million in losses before being caught for bank fraud?

  65. What is a vest fleece?

  66. I overcontributed to my 401(k). What are my options?

  67. I converted my former IRA to a Roth for tax purposes in 1998, so even though the tax was paid over four years, am I correct to assume that this is now mine to withdraw, if I like, at no penalty? I am 60 years old.

  68. Does participation in a 401(k) plan prevent an individual from contributing to a Traditional IRA?

  69. My recently deceased spouse's IRA has been rolled over into mine. Does the cost basis change for me?

  70. Is it possible for a company to have a positive cash flow and a negative net income?

  71. I am 59 (not 59.5) and my husband is 65. We have participated in a SIMPLE IRA with our company for more than two years. Can we convert the SIMPLE IRA to a Roth IRA? If we can convert, do we have to pay tax on the SIMPLE IRA money placed in the Roth? Are t

  72. I'm an 80 year old making increasing required minimum distribution (RMD) tax payments. I plan to convert my IRA to a Roth IRA and pay the taxes for the total RMD. Will I be able to withdraw funds from the Roth the year following the conversion? I understa

  73. What is the best retirement plan option for a physician with her own practice, employees and a desire to fund her retirement without making things complicated? She'd like to avoid plans that rely on a stringent income test or require all employees to part

  74. My spouse is the primary beneficiary of my IRA. I also have a contingent beneficiary. Can my spouse still transfer my IRA assets tax-free to her own IRA?

  75. How can I purchase stocks directly from a company?

  76. Can an IRA beneficiary roll the IRA over into another account and designate another beneficiary?

  77. Can I have a self-directed IRA or Roth IRA using the forex market?

  78. I have just been laid off. Can I use my 401(k) for living expenses now and report it as income next year?

  79. What aids will help me file my own tax return?

  80. Can I return funds to my Roth IRA after I have taken it as a distribution?

  81. Can I donate stock to charity?

  82. How does the number of credit card accounts I have affect my credit score?

  83. What are the economic implications of government subsidies on fuel costs?

  84. What are the Gnomes of Zurich?

  85. What is reinsurance?

  86. What kinds of investments are allowed in a qualified retirement plan, and what kinds are forbidden?

  87. What are some of the features and benefits of SEP IRAs and Roth IRAs?

  88. Can I roll over a profit-sharing plan to an SEP IRA account without suffering any tax penalties and liquidation of current positions held in this account?

  89. Can an individual contribute to both a Roth IRA and a Traditional IRA in the same year?

  90. Can my spouse and I convert our IRAs to Roth IRAs regardless of earned income?

  91. Do hedge funds and mutual funds invest in commodities in high inflation environments?

  92. Are there tax penalties for closing my Roth IRA account?

  93. Can investment real estate be purchased within an IRA and, if so, are there any pitfalls?

  94. I participate in a profit-sharing plan at work. If I retire at age 62, will I be able to withdraw the money tax-free, or must it be rolled over to another account or plan?

  95. Should I put money into a retirement account even if it isn't tax deductible?

  96. I own a small business. Can the SBO-401(k) work for me?

  97. I have some stocks in a taxable account. Can I use them to fund my Roth IRA instead of using cash?

  98. When should a company recognize revenues on its books?

  99. If a company undergoes an acquisition can an employee withdraw 401(k) funds tax free?

  100. I didn't earn any income this year. Can I still contribute to a Roth?

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Last Questions Asked:
  1.

    How do I list the beneficiaries of my life insurance policies if I have a trust?

  2. If I want to have some cash in a liquid account for unexpected emergencies, what is best? A savings account or another type?

  3. How are capital gains and dividends taxed differently?

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