Income for life: A better way

Question: You are a big fan of annuities. I recently rejected that course for my mother in favor of a bond ladder. She receives a somewhat lower payout, but she does not give up her principal.

Drowning in debt; what about retirement?
Question: My wife and I are self-employed. In addition to a mortgage of just under $400,000, we have a home equity line of credit on which we’ve borrowed $41,000, credit-card debt of $25,000, plus two car loans.

$15k just to get into college
Plenty of parents fantasize about their child going to Harvard. But Paula and Gary Goldberg of Boca Raton, Fla. aspire instead to get their daughter Rachael, a high school junior, interested in schools other than Harvard.

Talk smart, ‘augment your remuneration’
If you’re looking for that next big job or promotion, you might want to forgo your next resume workshop for a trip to the nearest library.

Plastic Penalties
Steep default rates are the credit-card industry’s dirty little secret.

Office Spies
From fake employees to hidden cameras, your employer is watching you.

8 mouths - 1 big financial challenge
Nathan Schenkel is only four, but he already has a nickname: Spawn of Satan. And that’s what his mother calls him. Teasingly, of course.

12,000 Reasons to Sell
Another milestone for the Dow provides more incentive to take profits.

The Pharmacist Is In
The political shift won’t keep me from investing in drug-sector ETFs and mutual funds.

Good habits are hard to break
Some people get a thrill out of spending — the Turners are excited to save.