The Help Desk

Can I treat retirement account distributions as capital gains?

I am 65, and every year I take distributions from my defined contribution plan and 403(b) account. Meanwhile, I still have long-term capital losses from the 2000 high-tech stock crash, and I deduct $3,000 a year against ordinary income. Can I take my long-term capital losses to offset any portion of the DCP and 403(b) distribution as long-term gains? – Franklin S.

The short answer is no, says Cynthia M. Jeanguenat, MORE

Should I refinance to an ARM?

I have a 30-year fixed mortgage with an interest rate of 4.275% and a balance of $144,000. I need to increase my monthly income. Should I consider refinancing to an adjustable rate mortgage? –Butch E.

If you're planning to sell your house within a few years, refinancing to an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) can offer a clever way to lower your monthly payments, says Matthew Delamater, a mortgage loan officer at MORE

If Dad files for bankruptcy, can creditors come after Mom?

My father signed a five-year commercial lease in New Jersey for a business that is not running well. There are two years left on the lease, and he owes close to $40,000 on various business credit cards. If my father declares bankruptcy for the business, can the landlord and credit card agencies come after my mother, who holds a steady job and has a regular income? — K.S.

As long as MORE

Is my portfolio on the right track?

My husband and I are 44. We moved to this country and started to save aggressively for retirement six years ago. Each year my husband puts about $10,000 in his Oregon state government employment-based retirement fund. I put $5,000 in my Roth IRA and about $10,000 in my SEP IRA. How should I invest my retirement funds? Right now I have all of my savings in Fidelity's Freedom Funds 2040. MORE

What's a good personal finance book for young adults?

Can you recommend a book about smart financial behavior for post-college kids in their 20s? —Susan R.

Check out Beth Kobliner's Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, says Annamaria Lusardi, director of the Global Center for Financial Literacy at the George Washington University School of Business.

In 2010, Kobliner — a journalist and personal finance commentator — was appointed to the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability MORE