Congress finally got its act together and agreed on a deal to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling. Sure, we may have to go through this all over again in January and February, but in the mean time, it's back to our regularly scheduled programming!

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Our young listeners are so great, because in answering their questions, I can review some of the basic premises we should all be applying throughout our lives. Leah got us started with questions about rolling over an old retirement plan and whether or not to combine assets with her soon-to-be husband. Aaron's wife wants to buy a house, but is that the best idea at this point in their lives? Steve needed advice about where to invest $5K and Tim and his wife have whole life insurance and want to know whether to exchange it for term -- YES! 29 year old Jaydan wrote such a nice e-mail, that I wanted to give him a shout-out on the show and in the show notes as well.

On the retirement front, Cheryl asked about the nasty provision of Social Security that reduces benefits for federal employees (Windfall EliminationProvision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). While there is legislation pending to undo these punitive rules, given the state of affairs in DC, I wouldn't hold my breath for action.

Ena has a wonderful problem: she has saved $1.35 million and needs a strategy to create income from the portfolio in retirement. Now is a good time to interview fee-only advisors. Howard asked about index vs. managed funds (INDEX RULES!), Andy is weighing a lump sum versus an annuity for his wife's retirement account, and Robert asked about the file and suspend strategy for Social Security.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

With the government shutdown in full swing and the debt ceiling looming, should you be making any changes to your portfolio? The easy answer is: NO! Stick to your diversified, balanced approach and you will be more likely to survive this latest crisis with less anxiety.

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David and Matt had government shutdown-related questions, but Jane was focused on what to do with a lump sum to help fund retirement. 

Shelley's debt consolidation questions allowed me to talk about financial scams, while Milton and Matt sought advice on selecting financial advisors.

TIB and Andy wrote about investing retirement assets, which Daphna and Tim are just starting their retirement funding journey.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney

With new reverse mortgage rules set to go into effect on September 30^th, it was a perfect time to have Billy Wright Senior Loan Officer and Branch Manager of Americana Mortgage join us as a guest to explain what’s going on and to answer some of your questions.

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As a reminder: a reverse mortgage is a home loan that allows homeowners 62 and older to convert a portion of the equity in their homes into cash, as long as the home remains their primary residence. Most reverse mortgages are offered through the Department of Housing and Urban Development and are guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) through a program called Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM).

Up until the new rules, pretty much anyone who had equity in a home could qualify for a reverse mortgage, but starting January 13, 2014 there will be new underwriting standards for new applications to ensure that borrowers have the ability to continue paying taxes and insurance on an ongoing basis. Additionally, as of October 1, homeowners will only be able to draw 60 percent of the available principal limit, unless there are mandatory obligations such as mortgage payoffs or liens. (A credit card debt is NOT considered a mandatory obligation.)

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet me: @jillonmoney