Managing Your Money All-in-One For Dummies
xiv
Book IV: Saving and Investing ................................... 265
Chapter 1: Becoming a Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267
Eliminating Most of the Fat ........................................................................ 268
Lowering Your Debt .................................................................................... 270
Trimming Other Costs ................................................................................ 272
Changing Your Perspective and Watching Your Savings Grow ............. 272
Saving While in Debt ................................................................................... 278
Chapter 2: Investing in Stocks, Bonds, and Mutual Funds . . . . . . . . .281
Stock: Owning a Piece of the Rock ............................................................ 282
Buying Bonds for Fixed Income ................................................................. 286
Mutual Funds: The Power of Many ............................................................ 290
Doing It Your Way Versus Using a Broker ................................................ 293
Five Common Investing Mistakes .............................................................. 296
Chapter 3: Saving for Retirement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301
Setting a Target Date for Retirement ........................................................ 302
Calculating the Size of Your Nest Egg ....................................................... 307
Developing a Retirement Savings Plan ..................................................... 311
Chapter 4: Saving for College. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .319
Doing the Numbers ...................................................................................... 320
Exploring Section 529 Plans ....................................................................... 321
Checking Out Coverdell Accounts ............................................................. 322
But Wait! There's More! .............................................................................. 322
Maximizing Your Savings, Minimizing Your Tax ..................................... 324
Checking Out the Cost of College .............................................................. 325
Looking into the Costs of Various Types of Schools .............................. 329
Chapter 5: Working with an Online Broker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333
Sorting Them Out: Selecting an Online Broker ........................................ 334
Opening Your Online Brokerage Account ................................................ 341
Ready, Set, Go! Making Your First Online Trade ..................................... 342
Knowing When to Hold and When to Fold ............................................... 345
Book V: Protecting Your Money and Assets ................. 347
Chapter 1: Combating Identity Theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349
Protecting Yourself from Identity Thieves ............................................... 350
Spotting Identify Theft When It Happens ................................................. 357
When Identity Theft Happens to You ....................................................... 360
Accessing Credit after Identity Theft ........................................................ 365
