How to Enter The Classroom | p. xv |
Class 1 The New American Dream | p. 3 |
Making Change |
The Dreams of Tomorrow Reside in Today's Choices |
The Money Class Curriculum |
Class 2 Stand In Your Truth | p. 11 |
Lesson 1 Finding Your Truth: A Personal Financial Accounting | p. 13 |
Lesson 2 Living Truthfully: How To Stand Tall In Your Reality | p. 15 |
Focus on What Is Real Today... and What You Will Need Tomorrow |
Live Below Your Means but Within Your Needs |
The Pleasure of Saving Is Equal to the Pleasure of Spending |
Define Yourself by Who You Are, Not What You Have |
Lesson 3 The Foundation Of All Truthful Living: The Power Of Cash | p. 21 |
Debit Card Rules |
The "Life Happens" Fund |
Credit Unions: A Great Place to Save |
Safety First with Your Savings |
Saving for Big-Ticket Items |
The Truth Will Indeed Set You Free |
Class 3 Family | p. 28 |
Lesson 1 How to Build Honest Family Relations | p. 31 |
Opening the Lines of Communication |
Lesson 2 How To Raise Young Children To Stand In The Truth | p. 34 |
Your Priceless Legacy |
Set the Right Tone |
Imparting Good Values When It Comes to Money |
Money Lessons for Children |
Money Lessons for Tweens and Teens |
Money Lessons for Teenagers Heading to College |
How to Handle Money Gifts and Savings |
The Three-Option Approach |
Lesson 3 How To Create a Financially Honest College Strategy | p. 48 |
Who Should Save for College |
The Best Way to Save for College: 529 Plans |
UGMA/UTMA |
Coverdell Accounts |
How to Invest Your 529 Plan |
The College Talk Every Parent Must Have with a High School Freshman |
Borrowing Rules for College Loans |
The Risks of Private Loans for College |
Stafford Loans |
PLUS Loans |
How to Choose the Right School |
Lesson 4 How To Help Adult Children Facing Financial Challenges | p. 64 |
How to Handle Student Loans That Are in Default |
How and When to Help Independent Children Who Are in Financial Trouble |
Lesson 5 The Conversation Every Adult Child Should Have With His Or Her Parents | p. 69 |
Building Family Financial Security Under One Roof |
Updating Legal Documents |
When a Parent Remarries |
Lesson 6 Advice For Grandparents: How to Build a Lasting Legacy | p. 73 |
Follow the Parents' Lead |
Pay It Forward |
Give Experiences, Not Things |
Class 4 Home | p. 77 |
Lesson 1 The Truth About Home Values | p. 81 |
A Decade of Extremes |
A Home Is a Savings Account, Not a Hot Stock |
Financing Is Cheap, but Not Easy |
Lesson 2 When It Makes Sense To Rent | p. 84 |
The Math of Rent vs. Buy |
Advice for Owners Who Now Want to Rent |
Lesson 3 The New Rules Of Buying a Home | p. 87 |
Set a Budget That Satisfies Your Needs |
Know Your Income Limits |
Aim to Make a 20% Down Payment |
A Special Note About FHA-Insured Loans |
Special Rules for Buying Condos and Co-ops |
Where to Come Up with the Down Payment |
Opt for a 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage |
Understand the Risk of Distressed Property |
Lesson 4 What To Do If You Are Underwater | p. 98 |
If You Are Underwater and Cannot Afford Your Mortgage |
Loan Modificaiton |
Short Sale |
Foreclosure |
If You Are Underwater but You Can Afford the Mortgage |
Lesson 5 How To Reduce Mortgage Costs | p. 110 |
When It Makes Sense to Pay Off a Loan Ahead of Schedule |
The New Realities of Refinancing |
Refinancing Rules |
Lower Your Mortgage Costs Without a Refinance |
Lesson 6 The Dangers Of Home Equity Lines Of Credit | p. 114 |
The Dangers of Rising Interest Rates and Falling Behind on Payments |
Home Equity Loans |
Lesson 7 Reverse Mortgages | p. 116 |
Reverse Mortgage Basics |
Lesson 8 Investing In Real Estate | p. 119 |
What You Need to Know Before You Buy Investment Property |
What to Do with an Investment Property That Is Underwater |
Class 5 Career | p. 122 |
Lesson 1 Advice For The Employed | p. 125 |
Build Your Plan-for-the-Worst Fund |
Live Below Today's Means |
Grab Your Full Retirement Bonus |
Make Your Case for a Raise and Promotion Through Your Work |
How to Ask for a Raise |
Change Your Attitude Before You Change Your Job |
Lesson 2 Advice For The Unemployed | p. 133 |
Cut Your Spending Immediately |
Do Not Dip into Your Retirement Savings |
Make Sure Your Credit Profile Remains Strong |
Do Not Go Back to School to Avoid a Hard Job Market |
Get to Work as Fast as Possible, Rather Than Holding Out for a Better Offer |
How to Deal with a Steep Pay Cut |
A Special Note for Stay-at-Home Moms |
Lesson 3 Starting (And Running) Your Own Business | p. 139 |
Launching a Business: Can You Afford It? |
Where to Get the Money to Start Your Business |
A Few Words About Micro Lending |
Running Your Own Business |
When to Expand |
When to Close |
Standing in Your Truth in Business |
Closing Down a Business Responsibly |
A Note About the Retirement Classes | p. 153 |
The Money Navigator: A Special Offer for Readers of The Money Class | p. 154 |
Class 6 Retirement Planning: Getting Going In Your 20S And 30S | p. 155 |
Lesson 1 Time Is Your Greatest Asset | p. 159 |
Getting Started Early |
With Lower Returns, Savings Are More Important Than Ever |
Lesson 2 Retirement Accounts Explained | p. 161 |
Retirement Plans Offered by Employers |
Retirement Plan Withdrawal Rules |
Non-Workplace Retirement Accounts |
Nondeductible IRAs |
Roth IRAs |
Retirement Plans for the Self-Employed |
Lesson 3 How Much You Need To Save For Retirement | p. 166 |
The Retirement Formula |
The Best 401(k) and IRA Strategy |
A Word on Vesting |
Where to Open an IRA Account |
Lesson 4 Investing Your Retirement Money | p. 173 |
The Ups and Downs of the Stock Market |
Dollar Cost Averaging |
How Much to Invest in Stocks |
Choosing the Best Options Within Your 401(k) |
How to Build the Best 401(k) Investment Portfolio |
Exchange Traded Funds |
Bond Investments |
Retirement Planning Mistakes to Avoid |
What to Do with Your 401(k) When You Leave a Job |
Class 7 Retirement Planning: Fine-Tuning It In Your 40S And 50S | p. 190 |
Lesson 1 Deciding When It Makes Sense To Pay Off Your Mortgage | p. 194 |
Questions to Ask Yourself |
The Benefits of Paying Off Your Mortgage |
How to Pay Off Your Mortgage Ahead of Schedule |
Lesson 2 Have A Realistic Plan For Working Until Age 66-67 | p. 203 |
Your Work-Longer Game Plan |
Lesson 3 Delay Your Social Security Benefit | p. 207 |
Social Security Basics |
Social Security Strategies |
Lesson 4 Estimate Your Retirement Income: How Are You Doing? | p. 214 |
Social Security Benefits |
Retirement Accounts |
Pensions |
Lump Sum vs. Annuity |
Lesson 5 Saving More, And Investing Strategies In Your 50S | p. 223 |
How to Invest Smart |
Making the Most of What You Have |
Best Investments Outside Your 401(k) |
Bond Investments |
No Target Funds Allowed |
Lesson 6 Plan For Long-Term Care Costs | p. 234 |
When to Buy |
Making the Financial Case for LTC Insurance |
Health Insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid |
LTC Basics |
Class 8 Living In Retirement | p. 248 |
Lesson 1 Home Finances: Stand In The Truth Of What Is Affordable For You | p. 251 |
The Affordability Issue |
Start the Discussion |
Lesson 2 Coping With The High Cost Of Healthcare In Retirement | p. 253 |
Rising Costs vs. Your Annual Retirement Income |
Long-Term Care Premium Increases |
Lesson 3 Stick To a Sustainable Withdrawal Rate | p. 255 |
The Right Rate |
How to Make Tax-Smart Withdrawals |
Lesson 4 Avoid Long-Term Bonds And Bond Funds | p. 259 |
What You Must Understand About Bonds |
How to Build a Bond Ladder |
Beyond Treasury Bonds: Municipal Bonds and Corporate Bonds |
Lesson 5 Earn Higher Yields by Investing In Dividend-Paying ETFS And Stocks | p. 264 |
The Case for Dividend-Paying ETFs and Stocks |
Stock Dividend Basics |
The Protection of a Stop-Loss Order |
How Much to Invest |
How to Choose a Dividend-Focused ETF |
Tips for Owning Individual Dividend-Paying Stocks |
Lesson 6 Double-Check Your Beneficiaries And Must-Have Documents | p. 275 |
Life-Changing Events |
Class 9 The Ultimate Lesson | p. 277 |
Clearing My Own Roadblocks |
The Road Ahead, Not the Rearview Mirror |
The Legacy We Create |