Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

Seventy-eight million American workers are not offered a retirement plan -- such as a 401(k) or pension plan -- at work. While having an employer sponsored plan is certainly a nice benefit, you have plenty of other options for saving for retirement. Today Ken and Daria walk you through your retirement plan options.

Dear Ken and Daria,

I have no retirement plan right now. The company I work for doesn't offer any kind of 401(k) or retirement plan. What are my options for a retirement plan and how do I get started? Thank you for your help!

-- Linda

For more retirement planning help, including how much you really need to save and retirement mistakes to avoid, visit Dolans.com.

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Ken and Daria Dolan of Dolans.com, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

Dear Ken and Daria,

I'm retired and 70 years old. Do I really need life insurance?

--Ed

Find out how much life insurance you really need with our simple worksheet at Dolans.com.

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Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

Parents and students looking for pay for college face an incredibly challenge. Tight credit, rising tuition costs, investing losses on college savings... Today, Ken and Daria help a WalletPop reader find the best ways to pay for college, and offer up a stiff warning to all parents and students alike about going deep into debt to pay for college.

Dear Ken and Daria,

I have one child in college and another starting in the fall. I am unemployed and have to find need-based and deferred college loans. Any pointers?

-- Francine

To learn more about the best ways to pay for college, visit Dolans.com.

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Ken and Daria Dolan are widely known as America's First Family of Personal Finance.

Taxes?! Bah humbug! I know taxes probably aren't exactly the most festive thing to write about in the middle of the holidays. But taking advantage of some year-end tax tips now can save you big come April.

So pour yourself another glass of eggnog and spend a few minutes watching this video on some simple tax moves you can make before the ball drops on the 31st.

Ken and Daria Dolan of Dolans.com have hosted their own national radio program for 22 years, anchored their own television shows on CNN, authored six books on money matters, served as money contributors on CBS This Morning and have now launched a comprehensive web site and free e-letter at Dolans.com.

Continue reading 5 Year End Tax Tips?It's not too late to slash your taxes!

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Ken and Daria Dolan are widely known as America's First Family of Personal Finance.

What do Oprah, Tiger and Spielberg have in common? They've all been the victims of ID theft -- along with 27,000 other Americans TODAY alone!

Identity theft is a massive problem that can cause years of headaches and heartache trying to get your finances untangled and your credit restored. Here's the #1 way you can protect yourself today:

Remove your name from the pre-approved credit mailing lists that are sold by the big three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. This isn't something many people know how to do, but it's super easy when you know this website: www.optoutprescreen.com.

Simply visit the site and follow the directions. By limiting the unsolicited offers you receive in the mail, you also limit the chances of some dumpster diver finding one of those applications you toss in the trash and using it to open an account in your name.

Click here for 4 more simple ways to protect yourself today.

Ken and Daria Dolan have hosted their own national radio program for 22 years, anchored their own television shows on CNN, authored six books on money matters, served as money contributors on CBS This Morning and have now launched a comprehensive web site and free e-letter at Dolans.com.

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QUESTION: My wife and I are trying to get our finances in order headed into the new year, and we feel like it's time to sit down with someone who can help, but we don't know how much a financial planner will cost. What should we be prepared for cost-wise?
--George, MN

George, first of all, congratulations to both of you for focusing on your finances!

You've taken a big step toward financial success in the new year! The answer to your question about costs depends on what kind of financial planner you choose.

There are typically 3 ways planners charge:

1. Commission only:

This type of planner doesn't charge you a fee for the plan he creates for you. Instead, as with a full service broker, he makes money only when you purchase one of the financial products that the planner recommends. His entire compensation is the commission on the sale.

As you can see, there's a potential conflict of interest by your financial planner: is he recommending a product because it is the right one for you and your unique needs, or is he recommending it because the company behind it will pay him a big fat commission when you buy it?

Continue reading America Asks the Dolans: Can I afford a financial planner?

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