Have you gotten a late start on your retirement preparations? Are you worried about your fiscal future? This valuable guide helps you to: create and stick to a budget; invest wisely; pay for college while still saving for retirement; help your kids with debt (without putting yourself in debt); talk to your parents about wills and money; make the most of your working income.

It's never too late to start planning -- Set your goals, then stay on track -- Credit and debt management -- Planning for the unexpected -- Retirement income to fulfill your dreams -- Retirement accounts -- Employer benefits -- Investing 101: bonds -- Investing 101: stocks -- Finding the perfect investment recipe -- Buying investments -- Kids and money -- Inheritances and estate planning -- Working for yourself -- Real estate -- Taxes in your 40s and 50s - The sandwich generation : planning for parental care -- Do you need an advisor? -- Breaking up is hard to do: divorce and separation -- Planning after the death of a spouse.