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Having Kids Later in Life? 5 Key Financial Considerations 05/20/2015 08:00pm • If you're having children later in life -- a phrase that's impossible to define but let's go with your 40s and beyond -- you may wonder what the future will bring. For instance, if your health isn't the greatest, and you're having kids in your 50s, you may worry that by the time you're choosing your 4 Ways to Get Financially Ready for Business School 05/20/2015 08:00pm • Behind every great degree is often a large bill, and with business school programs, it's no different. Many MBA programs cost students $40,000 a year or more for tuition, and students also have to come up with the money for housing, food and other expenses. Financial issues are the top reservation 3 Ways to Set Financial Goals You'll Actually Keep 05/19/2015 08:00pm • Are your financial goals similar to New Year's resolutions? Great ideas in theory, but ones you don't take action on? Maybe you set a goal to save 20 percent of every paycheck, become debt-free or pay cash for your next car. Maybe your goal was to aggressively pay down your mortgage so you can be 7 Unique, Boutique ETFs 05/19/2015 08:00pm • Exchange-traded funds have exploded into public consciousness with a popularity to match mutual funds, so it's easy to think that a cursory look makes you a near expert. There isn't much to the basics: These securities track a commodity, asset group (such as an index fund) or index (such as the Stan Why Millennials Are Shunning Traditional Financial Tools 05/19/2015 08:00pm • More than one-third of 18- to 29-year-olds have never had a credit card, according to a survey of 1,000 adults released last month by CreditCards.com. Thanks to the 2009 Card Act, which put strict limits on how credit cards are marketed and issued to young people, as well as the Great Recession, wh Learn How to Transfer Parent PLUS Loans to a Child 05/19/2015 08:00pm • When it comes to helping Neela Hummel's mother-in-law repay the parent PLUS loans she borrowed years ago for her son's schooling, the family has an informal arrangement. Neela and her husband Tom regularly log into his mother's account and make payments with their own funds, tackling the nearly $3 Ask 4 Questions to Avoid Being Duped By a Student Loan Service 05/19/2015 08:00pm • The Student Loan Ranger has discussed before the so-called "debt relief" companies that target student loan borrowers. Due to the volume of questions we've been receiving on this topic, however, we thought it might be worth revisiting. What most of these emails have in common is the subject line, w The Balancing Act of Being a Renter and Landlord 05/18/2015 08:00pm • Millennials are often painted in the news as the generation that refuses to invest in real estate. The 20- to 30-somethings are flocking to major cities based on employment opportunities and lifestyle choices, where they inevitably end up renters due to high housing prices and the average student lo 4 Oversold Utilities Stocks 05/18/2015 08:00pm • According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the Producer Price Index declined 0.4 percent in April -- the fifth decrease in the past six months, and a decline of 1.3 percent over the past 12 months. With these numbers clearly falling short of the Federal Reserve's stated inflation targets, many marke How to Cut Your Costs at the Pump 05/18/2015 08:00pm • If you have a summer road trip planned, then you might be paying close attention to fluctuating gas prices. While they are relatively low, averaging $2.71 per gallon compared to almost a dollar higher at this time last year, according to AAA, they have been rising lately and prices vary widely bas The Right Way to Handle an Inheritance 05/18/2015 08:00pm • If you are fortunate enough to receive an inheritance, buy a nice bottle of Champagne and toast your benefactor. But then institute a cooling-off period before you start spending, financial advisors recommend. A new car, vacation or kitchen renovation may be in your future, but make sure you carefu 10 Medical Schools Where Students Pay a High Price 05/18/2015 08:00pm • The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: What Students Wish They'd Known About Paying for College Before Graduation 05/17/2015 08:00pm • Seth Burgett, a recent John Brown University graduate, has some advice for future college students: "Just slow down, think and get experience before you go to college," he says. "If you're on the fence, you don't need to go to college right away." Burgett started at the University of Nebraska--Lin Advice on Law School Admissions Offers, LSATs on Applications 05/17/2015 08:00pm • Welcome to the latest installment of Law Admissions Q&A, a monthly feature of Law Admissions Lowdown that provides admissions advice to readers who send in questions and admissions profiles. If you have a question about law school, please email me for a chance to be featured next month. Dear S Alexandria one step closer to Metro station at Potomac Yard 05/16/2015 03:25pm • WASHINGTON --  Alexandria has moved a step closer to building a $268 million dollar Metrorail station at Potomac Yard, the sprawling abandoned rail yard between Route 1 and the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The City Council has held its final public hearing on the proposal before it votes