Aagh ... ugh ... oh no, not again ...

That's the awful sound of your bank account as you ask it to give you more than it has to give. You are torturing it and yourself, once again. You slam your head on the desk, utter a few words that your mother told you never to say, and lapse into yet another financial crisis. Is it acute or chronic? Is this a scene that happens rarely or repeats over and over? Well, today is the day that the torture becomes history. Take up your pencil and prepare to "balance the budget." If Congress can do it (it has happened), so can you.

There was a time when retirement planning and the social security system were inextricably linked in the minds of all people. For many women who were not in the job market, the system paid based on the wages and earnings of a spouse. Those days are gone and are not likely to return. Social security may be there when you retire, but you should not count on it as your greatest source of income.