Dear Dave: My husband is in the middle of serving a five-year prison sentence. We have a 9-year-old son, and we’ve sold our home and everything else of value just to get by and pay off debts. I’ve managed to pay off almost everything, but we still have about $20,000 in debt from credit cards and a car note. Our rent is $375 a month, and the car payment is $400. My husband was making about $100,000 a year before he was incarcerated, and the only income we have now is my monthly disability check of $1,478. Should I file Chapter 13 bankruptcy? –Samantha

Dear Samantha: I’m really sorry you and your family have been put through all this. You’ve endured a real mess the last few years, and I know you’ve fought like crazy to keep things afloat the entire time. More…

There’s no doubt that the economic downturn has hurt millions of Americans. Unemployment rose sharply, and job creation has a long way to go to make up for the losses. Banks stopped lending money. Foreclosures skyrocketed. The American Dream — until recently a reality for many – of homeownership, stable employment and perpetual lifestyle improvements seemed to slip away.

But the news hasn’t been all bad. Sometimes a crisis can clarify the mind. Innovation is still alive. Businesses are still being created. Success is still an option – but if we thought it was a certainty, now we know better. More…

Dear Dave: I’m shopping around for a new bank because my current big bank has gone fee-crazy. They want $15 to tell me my mortgage payoff amount. Besides asking about fees, do you have any other advice when it comes to looking for a good bank? – Jim

Dear Jim: I learned to stay away from the mega-banks a long time ago.It seems to me that somewhere along the line they forgot how to treat their customers like human beings. 

That’s why I stick with community and regional banks. I love local credit unions, too. These are the kinds of places where you can go in and talk to the branch manager if they go fee-crazy. More…

Margaret Thatcher said, “The problem with Socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

Some practical advice. While the government is failing to take effective measures that will fix the financial crisis we are in, we can take measures to personally survive the madness. More…

The search-engine giant Google launched an important website called Google Finance in March 2006. It’s been a bonanza for many click-from-home investors!

As the name suggests, Google Finance is all about business and financial news. More…

Everyone, no matter how large or small their income, makes enough money to invest in their future wealth. Too many people are convinced this isn’t true, because they tend to spend money whenever and wherever they see something they desire, without any thought of their real, long-term goals. More…

While everyone should become educated about money, wealth generation, investing and the best ways to expand his or her life, not everyone has the education and experience of a financial planner.

A good financial planner can help you create a personal roadmap to achieve your wealth goals.

Here are some of the things a solid financial planner should be able to do for you:

1. Help you make a plan to get out of credit debt.
2. Assist you in setting up a working budget and establishing beginning financial goals for the short-term, such as establishing an emergency fund, college fund and short-term savings. More…

In Part One of “Finding a Good Financial Planner,” WEALTH magazine explored some of the ways a financial planner could be of assistance in defining financial goals or making a plan to eliminate debt. In Part Two, WEALTH offers questions you should ask before hiring anyone to handle your money.

Once you have located financial planners in your area, consider your personal needs and do your homework. WEALTH magazine offers these tools and tips to get you started:

• Ask your potential planner about his own portfolio. More…