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Should I declare bankruptcy?       What's the difference between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy?   Protection Planning   Articles     Annuities       Annuities and retirement planning       Annuities: traps for the unwary       Annuity basics       Guaranteed annuity contracts       Tax planning for annuities     Health insurance       Health insurance and COBRA: sometimes you can take it with you       Health insurance and divorce       Health insurance for college students       Health insurance in retirement       Health insurance made simple       Individual health insurance       Lowering the cost of health care       Making the most of your group health benefits       Tax tips: health insurance     Life insurance       Claiming life insurance benefits       Designating a beneficiary for life insurance       How does cash value in a life insurance policy really work?       How much life insurance do you need?       Life insurance and charitable giving       Life insurance and estate planning       Making policy loans and withdrawals       Planning ahead for life insurance proceeds       Surrendering your life insurance policy       Term vs. cash value life insurance       The ins and outs of policy ownership       Viatical settlements     Long-term care insurance       Coordinating long-term care insurance with government benefits       Do your parents need 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       What do long-term care insurance policies cover?   Decision Tools     Health insurance       Comparison of typical health plans       Which health plan is right for you?     Long-term care insurance       Comparing long-term care insurance policies       Inflation protection options       What to avoid when buying a long-term care insurance policy   FAQs     Annuities       Can I change my annuity for one with a better interest rate?       I bought an annuity a few years ago, but I don't want it anymore. Is there a way to get rid of it?       I can choose a single life annuity for my pension or a joint and survivor annuity that makes payments to my spouse when I die. Which is better?       I'm confused--is an annuity an investment vehicle or an insurance policy?       What is an annuity?     Disability insurance       Can I buy short-term disability coverage through my employer?       Do I need disability insurance?       Do long-term disability insurance premiums depend on the nature of my job?       How can I reduce the cost of disability insurance?       How do I apply for workers' compensation benefits?       I broke my leg and can't work for two months. Am I entitled to file a disability claim with my employer?       If I have long-term disability insurance coverage through my employer, do I need my own policy, too?       Many years ago I was treated for cancer, but now it's in remission. Do I need to disclose this when I buy disability insurance?       Will I have to pay life insurance premiums if I become disabled?     Life insurance       Are withdrawals from a cash value life insurance policy ever tax free?       Can an insurance company require me to submit to a medical exam before granting me a life insurance policy?       Can I change the beneficiary on my life insurance policy? If so, how do I do it?       Can I convert all or part of my term life insurance to permanent life insurance?       Can I ever have too much life insurance?       Can I use life insurance to help me save for retirement?       Do I need life insurance if I'm single?       Do I need to name a relative the beneficiary of my life insurance policy, or can I name a friend instead?       How can an insurance company really tell if I smoke?       How can I reduce the cost of life insurance?       How do I decide if I should replace my existing life insurance policy with a new one?       How much life insurance do I need?       I have enough life insurance right now. But I might need more in the future if I decide to start a family. Will I be able to buy more later, even if I develop a medical condition?       I smoke cigars occasionally, but not cigarettes. Will I be charged smokers' rates for life insurance?       If I leave my company, can I take my life insurance policy with me?       Is it less expensive to buy life insurance while I'm young?       Is it possible to name a charity as the beneficiary of my life insurance policy?       Is there any way I can use life insurance to help cover my expenses if I become terminally ill?       Should I buy life insurance on my child?       Should I buy term or cash value life insurance?       Should I replace my permanent life insurance policy with another if I'm unhappy with the rate of return I'm getting?       What are the pros and cons of buying life insurance through my employer rather than buying my own policy?       What happens if my life insurance company files for bankruptcy?       What is group life insurance?       What is term life insurance?       What is whole life insurance?       When I die, is my beneficiary required to take a lump-sum payment of my life insurance death benefit?       Why do I need life insurance?       Why does an insurance company require an insurable interest before I buy a life insurance policy?       Will I be taxed on the growth of the cash value of my life insurance? What if my policy pays dividends?       Will my beneficiaries have to pay taxes on the proceeds of my life insurance policy?   Tax Planning   Decision Tools     General tax planning       Accelerating deductions/postponing Income       Accelerating income/postponing deductions       Federal individual income tax fundamentals   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?       Do I have to pay U.S. taxes when I work abroad?       How did the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 change capital gains tax rates?       I don't have the cash to pay my taxes. What can I do?       I have investment property. What does basis mean, and how do I determine the basis of my property?       I received a state tax refund last year. Must I include that amount as income on my federal return this year?       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 alternative minimum tax?       What is the basis of property received as a gift?       What is the kiddie tax?       What penalties and interest will I be charged for paying and filing my federal income taxes late?       What's the difference between an "injured spouse" and an "innocent spouse"?       Will I have to pay tax on my investment income?     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?       What is the earned income credit and who qualifies for it?     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?     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?