MAIL BAG: Try tax-exempt sale instead of an exchange 
Q: My wife and I plan to use our home equity to purchase an investment property. We wanted to do an Internal Revenue Code 1031 tax-deferred exchange. But I recently discovered we can’t do such an exchange with our personal residence.

Understanding the fundamentals of a Home Equity Loan 
A home equity loan is a great way to fund home improvements and consolidate debt. However, using is is not without it’s risks, but also has rewards. Many home owners desire a pool or want to roll a car payment into a lower rate second mortgage.

Retirement Should Trump College as Parents’ Savings Priority 
Listen up, parents: Save for your child’s future, but not at the expense of your own. Prioritizing savings goals can be challenging at any life stage. For those with young kids, the calculations become uniquely complicated.

A home, at last 
SHERIDAN — Nine-year-old Zack Soule was so pleased with his family’s new house that he was even impressed by the number of light switches.