In honor of the recent Veterans' Day holiday, guest Ann Marsh, Senior Editor and West Coast Bureau Chief of Financial Planning Magazine joined the show. In a must-read article, Ann highlighted how financial problems are weighing on our servicemen and servicewomen, and in some cases, contributing to suicide.

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If you want to help, contact your favorite lawmaker and encourage him/her to support the Holt Amendment, which designates $1 million to study the links between financial stress, financial abuse, and military suicide and to generate recommendations to address these issues.

The two organizations that Ann mentioned are: www.giveanhour.org, which is in the process of considering launching a financial planning arm of its services and www.psycharmor.org, which is putting together a new network of private sector professionals to help soldiers and vets, including financial planners.

Your calls and e-mails are always great-this week was no exception. Kurt from Alaska is considering selling his home, just one year after buying it; Cheryl needs help allocating her investment accounts; Michael wants to know about buying real estate inside his IRA and a Petty Officer was wondering about the impact of rising mortgage interest rates on his VA loan.

When a complicated estate planning question arises, like one from Keith, I recommend consulting an attorney. I know it costs money, but these are thorny issues that require an expert. Edward is weighing a lump sum pension pay out versus an annuity and Philip wanted to know whether he should invest in an insurance policy on his mother.

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

Nearly five years after the end of the Great Recession, it's time to apply some of the lessons from the bad times to our lives. One of the most important facts we learned is that every job is at risk. How can you protect against this horrible truth? According to our guest Kimberly Palmer, the answer is within YOU.

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Kimberly is a blogger, writer and author of "The Economy of You: Discover Your Inner Entrepreneur and Recession-Proof Your Life" and she has some great ideas about how you can augment your income while doing something you actually enjoy!

That extra income might come in handy during retirement, which is something Helen could use. Meanwhile, Sally wants everyone to know that it IS POSSIBLE to save for retirement, even after a late start. Jeff has a question about SSDI, while David wants to know how to invest his $1,100,000 retirement nest egg.

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 us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

In between the Olympics and your binging on "House of Cards," check out this week's show! We move from college saving to retirement review what the new "MyRA" is all about.

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On this week's show, we help Gil and Evan manage their 529 plans and Jennifer to address the dreaded FAFSA form.

We also tackle Social Security questions with Dale and Joan and help Sheryl determine whether or not she needs a commission-based financial advisor.

And of course, 'tis the season...for taxes...we field  an interesting question from Ronnie about claiming her mother as a dependent.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". 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

Take a break from the Olympics and check out this week's show, where we tackle a bunch of retirement questions and discuss how to boost credit scores.

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I want to admit something: I have deep, pension envy. You will hear it when I talk to Michelle and Mike, both of whom have terrific pensions that make retirement planning pretty darned sweet.

Kim and Kathy have similar concerns about how to boost their credit scores, now that they are in better financial shape. Meanwhile Frank and Mary need strategies to pay down debt.

On the investing front, Tom is ready to enter the world of riskier plays, while Andy is on the other end of the spectrum: he is considering his bond position with CDs.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Let me know if you think we should provide Mark with a little space to vent his various grievances with you...we're considering calling it "Mark's Musings". 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

Do you need a financial advisor? Do you have one and can't determine whether it's worth the money? We tackle these questions and more on this week's show.

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Joe started the show with a great question: should he take a lump sum from his employer’s retirement plan or would he be better off receiving a monthly pension payment. There are lots of variables to consider in making this decision, so pay attention.

Dorothy and Sandi both have advisors, who are recommending an investment that is generating a fat yield. Gang when we are living in a zero interest world, any investment that is delivering outsized interest has risk—real risk!

Laura and Dick are each pondering how to evaluate their investment advisors. For some, it is well worth the money to work with a professional who will guide them. The trick is to make sure that you understand what the fees cover and whether or not it’s worth it for you. Check out NAPFA.org to find a fee-only advisor who will put your interests first!

An hourly advisor may be especially useful, when it comes to planning for aging loved one. Phil is trying to evaluate the options for his 85 year-old relative, which is in a nursing home.

Where should you put extra money? In Eric’s case, slap it down on a 6 percent student loan; for Bob answer is buying dividend paying mutual or exchange-traded fund; while Mary-Lisa needs to establish an emergency reserve fund.

Our 20-somethings are inspiring, because they are socking money away like nobody’s business. Ming is ready to start contributing to a 401 (k) – best to keep things simple, by using target date funds. Meanwhile, Myles wants to know how much money to put down on a new home purchase. He could plunk down half the purchase price and still have an emergency fund, but should he?

We round out the show with a few retirement plan questions from Eric, who is considering a purchase of commodities for his old 401 (k) (just say NO!); David, who needs to re-characterize an IRA; Terry, who wants to clarify the rules for beneficiaries of IRA accounts; and Liv, who wants to make sure her retirement plan is on track.

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