Since the financial crisis of 2008-2009, taking money out of retirement accounts before you’re actually retired [whether as premature distributions or loans on 401(k) accounts] has become less of a taboo. About 18% of 401(k) plan participants had loans outstanding in this year’s first quarter, according to the Investment Company Institute, the mutual-fund trade group. Some 1.7% of participants took a hardship withdrawal last year, a percentage that has held steady for several years...

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance estimates that for a 60-year-old couple in good health, an optimal LTC policy -- one with a $150 daily benefit at plan inception, three-year benefit period, 90-day elimination, 100% home care benefit, 3% compounded annual inflation protection, and spousal discount -- would be valued at $164,000 for each person, while at age 80, it would be $325,000 for each person...

Are you afraid you haven’t saved enough for retirement? If you’re 50 or older, the tax code gives you lots of incentives to make up for lost time...

I’ve often lamented the fact that practical personal finance skills are something very rarely taught at any level of education. In light of this I am passing on the following list created by Richard Barrington from MoneyRates.com. He hits on the most basic, but no less important, money lessons parents should endeavor to impart to their children. This is especially pertinent for those parents sending their kids off to live on college campuses, where for some it will be their first taste of “living on their own.” A college freshman armed with this little bit of knowledge really would be one step ahead...