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While the name may be amusing the reality of zombie debt is anything but funny. Zombie debt is old debt that has been written off years ago, only to be sold to debt collectors for pennies on the dollar. In many cases, the debt is years old, and may not even be valid.

As a retirement plan, 401(k) plans currently outpace the competition, with more than 54 million Americans participating in a 401(k) plan, and nearly 550,000 plans offered.

Employer sponsored, 401(k) plans are by far the easiest mechanism for workers to get started saving for retirement. And because there is typically an employer match for contributions up to a certain percentage, workers can end up leaving a significant amount of money on the table if they choose to forego participating in the company 401(k) plan.

Introduced in 1989, reverse mortgages were designed for homeowners nearing retirement age. The premise behind a reverse mortgage is to allow those aged 62 or older, with at least 50% equity in their home, to tap that equity in the form of a payment that will be made to them monthly. The complete opposite of a standard mortgage, reverse mortgages use the home’s equity to pay borrowers a set amount each month, with owners no longer required to pay their current monthly mortgage, if they have one.

Started in 1996, 529 plans provide tax incentives for those saving for post-secondary education. The plan allows funds saved to be used at any eligible education institution, which typically includes colleges, universities, vocational schools or any post-secondary educational institute that is currently eligible to participate in U.S. Department of Education student aid programs. Operating much like a 401(k) or IRA, funds deposited into a 529 plan are not taxed, either by the federal government or the state in which the participant resides.

The Trump administration’s new tax reform bill was signed into law in December of 2017, representing the first major tax change in over 30 years. The changes are significant and are likely to affect nearly everyone in some measure; some positively, while others may find themselves with a higher tax bill in 2018. All of the changes represented in the new tax bill will be in effect through 2025.

The U.S is considered the most generous country in the world, with two-thirds of Americans giving to charities annually. And this number continues to grow, with giving levels increasing every year since 2009.

In 2016, an estimated $390 billion was given to charity in the U.S. – an increase of 1.4 percent over 2015 totals, with individual giving accounting for 72 percent of all giving. Religious organizations led the list of recipients, receiving over 32 percent of individual donations, followed by Education, with 15 percent of donations, then Human Services, with 12 percent.