Challenges and Opportunities for the Self-Employed

When starting your own business, you can expect some challenges along with the rewards. Working for someone as an employee generally includes benefits, and your employer is responsible for the taxes on your salary. When you're working for yourself, however, you must plan for your own benefits, such as health care and retirement, and take care of paying the applicable taxes. These can be quite a drain on your income.

Government Funding for Adoption

Federal and some state governments now offer a number of benefits or reimbursements for some adoption costs. Federal laws also require employers that provide health insurance to give the same insurance to newly-adopted children.

Planning Your Wedding Budget

Once you decide to get married, you can kiss your free time good-bye. There's just so much to do. You need to make the official announcement, pick a date, and start making wedding plans. You've got to arrange for time off from work for your honeymoon, think about where you'll live, and pick out your wedding dress and tux.

Budgeting for Baby

You may have heard people say that if you waited to have a baby until you could afford it, you'd never have children at all. While there is truth to this statement, there is also something to be said for being fiscally responsible in planning for your children. A new baby doesn't have to break the bank. The first step to success is knowing what expenses to expect.

Changes in Your Marital Status

A change in marital status can result in big changes to your financial situation. While middle age used to be a relatively calm period of life, many people today experience all kinds of life changes while in their 40s and 50s.

How to Seek Financial Aid for Your Teen

Here are the tasks you and your teen will need to take care of during his senior year. (Expect him to do as much as possible; it's a great way to learn the way the world works.)

Legal and Parenting Implications of Separation

It's important to understand the legal implications of separation, including the difference between an informal break and a legally binding agreement. Remember that separation laws vary by state. In some jurisdictions, for instance, all assets and debts acquired after the date of the agreement are excluded from consideration as marital property. Without a legal agreement, you are considered married in every sense of the word—and held liable for every cent your partner spends.

Do You Need a Budget?

Despite what most people think, “budget” is not a dirty word. Granted, it's not as great a word as “vacation” or “windfall,” but there are much worse things in life than living with a budget. A budget is a schedule of income and expenses, usually broken into monthly intervals and typically covering a one-year period.

Filing Systems for Genealogy

Using binders for your pedigree charts and family sheets is a start, although you will accumulate considerable additional paper. You want a simple system, easily expanded as your search progresses. Create a set of file folders. Use either standard 8½" X 11", or legal-size 8½" X 14" folders. Legal size may seem the most desirable, since many document photocopies will be legal size. However, legal-size filing cabinets are wider than standard size.

Finding an Adoption Agency

How do you locate a reputable and competent adoption agency? Many people merely pick up the Yellow Pages and start dialing every number listed under “Adoption.” Not a good idea. The agency with the splashiest advertisement isn't necessarily the best one. (Although it might be.) Forget about making your agency choice solely by choosing the agency with the nicest website or the cutest photos of babies on the Internet.

Welcome to the Sandwich Generation

If you're like many baby boomers, you've got two or three kids of your own. And depending on how old you were when they were born, they may be anywhere from toddlers to adults living on their own. We know 50-somethings who are just now making the rounds of elementary school concerts and parent-teacher conferences, and other 50-somethings who are happily playing with their grandkids.

Common Adoption Scams

What kinds of bad things do scammers do to people who want to adopt? You want specifics? Okay. I warn you about major scams to avoid in the following sections.

Setting Up a Trust Fund

Genealogy: Researching Estates