What better way to celebrate Financial Planning Week than to have special guest Kevin Keller, the CEO of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards join the show! Kevin discussed why working with a CFP professional is so important and noted that while there are over 200 financial designations out there, very few are as rigorous as the gold standard CFP -- only 18 percent of current financial advice-givers have passed the test and completed the necessary requirements -- and the CFP Board is one of the few bodies that actually enforces its standards.

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The CFP Board recently conducted a survey to determine how parents are coping with college education. Two-thirds haven’t saved anything – maybe that’s because one-third of respondents are still repaying their own student loans! In the category of magical thinking, 13 percent think their kids will nab athletic scholarships!

In addition to Kevin’s great guest spot, your questions were awesome this week. Wayne from KY has done a great job of saving for retirement, but now has to be careful that long-term care doesn’t undo all of his great work! Here’s more on LTC: Is 90 the new 70?

Because Aaron: asked about it, here’s a Life Insurance Primer and for Dale, here the post “Drowning in Documents: What to Shred, What to Keep”.

Finally, thanks to Julie from Edina, MN, who wrote eloquently about her struggles to survive the recession and her ability to maintain her savings and dignity in the process!

Here's last week's segment from CBS This Morning, where I discussed how to beat rising bank fees.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Check out Mark's first-producing credit for this CBS Evening News segment that aired recently. 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 us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

Gobble, gobble! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are enjoying a relaxing weekend!

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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

Dow 16,000, S&P 1800...are these new levels signs of more gains ahead or a giant bear trap? Luckily, our listeners know that round numbers are nice, but they have little to do with real financial matters.

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Nolan started the show with a question we often field: is it better to contribute to retirement or pay down debt? The answer depends on a number of variables, including the interest on the debt. In this case, it's tough to make the case for paying down cheap student loans.

At age 57, Bill is wondering whether or not he still needs life insurance. I suggested that he consult one of my favorite financial calculators, from the folks at lifehappens.

Michael purchased a variable life insurance policy 15 years ago and wants to know what to do with it now.

Does Eunice need long term care? She is a 69 year-old widow in good health, but wants to preserve her nest egg for her kids and grandkids.

We fielded Social Security questions from Ralph, Mark and Blanche. As a reminder, the Social Security web site is a treasure trove of valuable information.

Finally, Bill wondered whether he should use cash to purchase rental property.

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

Despite the heat wave, listeners are keeping cool when it comes to their money. Interesting questions about when to claim Social Security prove once again, that the answer depends on your unique circumstances.

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Steve from MN is in his early 60s and is concerned about preserving his $3 million nest egg. Is he better off in an actively managed fund or a passive index? Similarly, Bill from Maine needed help allocating his assets.

Helen, David and Ed are all trying to balance the risk of reaching for yield and the need to have access to money, while Henry (a 404 fan) has trimmed his risk by using a bond fund and target date fund in his 401 (k) – should he do something else?

When to claim Social Security is a vexing question, because there is no clear-cut response. At least I could reassure “K” that the system will still exist when she reaches 62. Although I don’t usually advocate claiming SS at age 62, in Nancy’s case, it makes sense. However, for Linda, waiting until age 70 may be a better a bet.

Not everyone needs long term care insurance-really! Listen to my conversation with Nikki from WI to find out who should consider coverage and who can skip it.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world and Christina, who is vying for "Intern of the Year". 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

The question "When can I retire?" pops up frequently. Unfortunately, there's more to the answer than a few calculations. The decision is a big one and varies based on your life circumstances.

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Richard from MN is considering retirement after being laid off. He and his wife are both working part-time, but with a nest egg of $850K, can he continue as is, or should he seek full-time employment?

Dan from CT is in his late 50’s and has a similar question, though his wife will be entitled to a pension, which makes the decision a bit easier.

Mike from IL and his wife have accumulated a $2.3 million nest egg and are looking to downsize for the next three years. Should they buy or rent?

Susan from Texas is a 55 year-old widow, who wants to make a change in her life. With savings and investments of $1.3 million, can she afford to quit her job as a teacher and do something else?

Michael is already retired, but his wife is weighing a lump sum pay out versus a stream of income – which is better for them?

Mark is 66 years old and is thinking about partial or full retirement based on the following facts that I will offer. He will have a pension, Social Security and $500K saved. He has the option of reducing his hours, which may be a perfect way to slide into retirement.

A few insurance questions popped up this week. Joe from OH needed help figuring out which kind and how much life insurance to purchase, while Jacob and Rita are concerned about long-term care. Lynn wrote in asking about purchasing whole life insurance for her 8 month-old daughter – JUST SAY NO!

The youth listenership of the show weighed in with questions about credit scores. Marvin and his wife want to buy a house, but he has a very low credit score and Jeromy is trying to keep a broken lease off his credit record.

Wes is 28 years old and trying to bounce back from some earlier financial mistakes. He is diligently paying down his car loan. His next step should be to establish an emergency reserve fund and then to begin contributing to his employers retirement plan.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world and Christina, who is vying for "Intern of the Year". 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