Laurin Mack is a PHD candidate in clinical psychology, which leaves her little time to bone up on her finances. But Mack, 29, wants to learn how to diversify a portfolio, monitor her investments online and roll over a retirement account into an IRA. Mack and other time-starved readers can use our absolutely essential financial toolkit to accomplish each of those tasks, and 33 others, in five easy steps or less.
These tasks are organized into four key areas: Personal Finances, Investing, Credit and Retirement. Take a look and see what you can accomplish today.
Personal Finance Toolkit
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Replace a Social Security Card
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Protect Your Home and Valuables
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Write a Will Without the Hassle
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Prepare for a Natural Disaster
Your Credit Toolkit
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Get Your Credit Report in a Flash
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Fix an Error on Your Credit Report
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Decipher Your Credit Card Statement
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Retirement Toolkit
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Transfer an IRA
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Buy a Medigap Policy to Supplement Medicare
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Investing Toolkit
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Find the Value of an Old Stock Certificate
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Understand a Mutual Fund Prospectus
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Get the Inside Skinny on a Stock
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Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Taxes on Social Security Benefits?Quiz Social Security benefits often come with confusing IRS tax rules that can trip up financially savvy retirees and near-retirees.
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Are You Ready for 65? The Medicare Initial Enrollment Period QuizQuiz Turning 65 soon? Test your basic knowledge of Medicare's Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) rules in our quick quiz.
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3 Ways to Stretch the 2026 Social Security COLA For Your BudgetThree steps retirees can take to stretch the Social Security COLA to fit their budgets.
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Money for Your Kids? Three Ways Trump's ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Impacts Your Child's FinancesTax Tips The Trump tax bill could help your child with future education and homebuying costs. Here’s how.
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Key 2025 Tax Changes for Parents in Trump's MegabillTax Changes Are you a parent? The so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ (OBBB) impacts several key tax incentives that can affect your family this year and beyond.
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Amazon Resale: Where Amazon Prime Returns Become Your Online BargainsFeature Amazon Resale products may have some imperfections, but that often leads to wildly discounted prices.
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What Does Medicare Not Cover? Eight Things You Should KnowMedicare Part A and Part B leave gaps in your healthcare coverage. But Medicare Advantage has problems, too.
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Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2026Roth IRAs Roth IRAs allow you to save for retirement with after-tax dollars while you're working, and then withdraw those contributions and earnings tax-free when you retire. Here's a look at 2026 limits and income-based phaseouts.
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Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnbreal estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
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Five Ways to a Cheap Last-Minute VacationTravel It is possible to pull off a cheap last-minute vacation. Here are some tips to make it happen.
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How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?insurance When assessing how much life insurance you need, take a systematic approach instead of relying on rules of thumb.
