Wednesdays are all about personal finance here at Abnormal Returns. You can check out last week’s links including a look at how dual-career couples can support each other.
Quote of the day
“What makes personal finance difficult isn’t a theory or mathematical equation. It’s the inherently fickle and dynamic nature of life. Even your best planning can be turned upside down in an instant.” – Douglas Boneparth
Chart of the day

Some financial surprises retirees have faced. (WSJ)
Paying for college
- Why getting started early in a 529 college is so important. (morningstar.com)
- What divorced couples need to know about filling out FASFA. (wsj.com)
- It's tough to say no for financial reasons why a child gets into their 'dream school.' (petetheplanner.com)
- The top 529 college savings plans, rated. (morningstar.com)
Employee benefits
- A checklist for open enrollment season. (morningstar.com)
- Why your health insurance premiums are going up (again). (nytimes.com)
- Very few people use their HSAs as long-term investment vehicles. (morningstar.com)
Annuities
- When it makes sense to bite the bullet and pay a surrender fee. (ofdollarsanddata.com)
- Some smart uses for deferred income annuities. (humbledollar.com)
Retirement
- Why retirement projections need to be updated (often). (humbledollar.com)
- How important is it to be mortgage debt-free when you enter retirement? (nytimes.com)
- How to supplement retirement income with a part-time job. (getrichslowly.org)
- Retirees are often afraid to dip into their savings. (squaredawayblog.bc.edu)
Happiness
- Money buys some happiness, but health buys a lot more. (ritholtz.com)
- How do you put a financial value on experiences? (wsj.com)
Personal finance
- Financial plans don't make themselves. They require planning and an attention to detail. (bunker-riley.com)
- Home ownership has a lot of different effects on an overall financial plan. (caniretireyet.com)
- How much should you save? As much as you can. (alephblog.com)
- When a partial Roth IRA conversion makes tax sense. (peterlazaroff.com)
- When debt consolidation makes sense. (thesimpledollar.com)
- Nine myths about credit scores. (wsj.com)