It’s Derby weekend on the show—we have no idea which horse will win, but we can make one great bet: keep those expenses down with index funds and you are sure to see a bigger pay-off!

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Dick and Jim each had questions about paying for financial advice. As I have said, while many people have the time, expertise and temperament to manage their own money, many others do not. To explore fee-only advisors, who have to put your needs first and do not collect any commissions, go to NAPFA.org.

Retirement and allocation questions from John, Phillip, Mary and Jim were opportunities to review some good rules of thumb: keep company stock allocation to 5 to 10 percent of the total portfolio value; maintain an adequate emergency reserve fund (at least 12 months of living expenses); whether I-Bonds make sense as a hedge against future inflation; and how to calculate consistent retirement income (multiply total portfolio value at retirement by 3.5 percent).

Sonya’s question about a Roth IRA conversation led to a discussion of IRS Rule 72-T. This rule allows IRA owners to avoid the early withdrawal penalties if: (1) Distributions are established as substantially equal periodic payments; (2) the payment schedule is continued for five years or until the account owner reaches age 59½, whichever is longer; and (3) the withdrawal amount is calculated using one of three IRS-approved life expectancy determination methods (life expectancy, annuity, amortization). You can check out this 72-T calculator from Bankrate.com.

How can you access money from a variable annuity? Listen to my conversation with Rosie and you can learn how!

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

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

We tackle two big retirement questions: When to claim SS retirement benefits and whether it ever makes sense to buy an annuity. Long time listeners of the show know that I am generally not a big fan of annuities, which is why I warn Cathy, Sue, Mary and “J” against buying one. But Lee’s situation is quite different and you may be surprised about my advice.

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Marie and John are wrestling with when to claim Social Security benefits, which was a good opportunity to cover how Social Security benefits might change under President Obama’s budget proposal.

Paul wants to know whether he should follow his broker to a new firm; Jaxom and Deanna need help with portfolio allocation; and we cover some nuances of IRAs from LC and Mrs. K.

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

Tick-tock…the tax-filing deadline is upon us. For those of you who love to work under the pressure of a deadline, it’s game time. For the rest of us, there are plenty of financial topics to keep us occupied! Keith started the show with a great question about long-term care coverage – there may be an easy way for him to reduce his annual premiums.

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Steven and Billy are both starting their financial journeys and we discuss the perils of jumping into commitments (financial and romantic!) too quickly.

Veronica and Jun have each just had babies and need help with withholding and education funding.

Dario, David, Lou and Stuart need guidance with their investment allocations, which led to a discussion about paying for financial advice.

Finally, Ginny called to ask about her 7 annuity contracts…you probably be surprised at my response!

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