The Help Desk

Can I undo co-signing my daughter's student loans?

My youngest daughter graduated from college this spring. She has loans (Direct Plus and FFEL), which I co-signed for. I am afraid her lack of income and ability to manage her money could cause her to be late or completely miss payments. Is there a way to get these loans in her name—and get me out of the picture? — Steve F.

The short answer is no. "A Direct Plus loan MORE

Is my federal employee health plan a better deal than Medicare?

I am a retired federal government employee. My wife and I are covered through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB). I have been advised to not sign up for Medicare because the coverage overlaps and FEHB is a better deal. Is it? — Robert J.

The two programs cover similar expenses in many areas, but there are a number of important differences. For example, FEHB covers emergency care outside the MORE

What's a better index fund: the total stock market or the S&P 500?

What are the advantages of investing in an S&P 500 index fund as a core portfolio holding, as opposed to a total stock market index fund? Over time, wouldn't a total stock market index fund outperform an S&P 500 fund? – Peter G.

There's a lot of overlap between an S&P 500 index fund and a total stock market fund, says Roman Franklin, president of Franklin Financial Planning in New York, N.Y. MORE

Help! My brother stole my identity!

I recently checked my credit report and found that my brother had taken out a credit card in my name. Now I have an $11,000 debt. Should I report my brother for identity theft, or should I just report the identity theft without mentioning my brother's name? Do I have any options besides reporting my brother and pressing charges? I am afraid that the credit card company will not believe MORE

Can I roll over pre-tax and after-tax contributions from a 401(k)?

I have an old 401(k) account containing both pre-tax and after-tax contribution dollars and earnings. Can I rollover the pre-tax amount into a Traditional IRA and the remaining after-tax portion into a Roth IRA without triggering any immediate taxes? — Tim C.

This is a gray area, says Jim Blankenship of Blankenship Financial Planning in New Berlin, Ill. "The situation is not completely clear by IRS rules, and the IRS has MORE