401(k) Guide

A Commonsense Guide to Your 401(k) gives you step-by-step instruction on how to get the most out of your 401(k). Written by Mary Rowland, this primer from Bloomberg Press explains how even novice investors can use the 401(k) as the basis for a lifetime of prudent financial planning. $19.95. To order, call 800/233-4830.

Retirement Planning

Three Web sites offer online calculators and other advice for figuring out your retirement needs.

• FinanCenter, at www.financenter.com, takes a sophisticated approach to figuring out your retirement living expenses.
• Quicken Financial Network, at www.qfn.com, can help you calculate how much you must invest to retire in style.
• Vanguard's retirement planner, at www.vanguard.com, is one of the only sites that helps you choose the most tax-efficient way to pull money out of your portfolio after you leave work.

Home Buying Tips

If you're planning to buy a home, pick up a copy of Not One Dollar More! How to Save $3,000 to $30,000 Buying Your Next Home by Joseph Eamon Cummins, $19.95 from Kells Media Group. To order, call 800/875-1995.

Among other tips, you'll learn how to save money by using a buyer's broker rather than a traditional real estate agent.

Bank Cost Cutter

For ideas on how to reduce bank costs, pick up a copy of Your Bank Is Ripping You Off by Edward Mrkvicka, Jr. $12.50 from St. Martins Press.

Women and Social Security

Social Security: What Every Woman Should Know, available free from the Social Security Administration, tells you how Social Security works whether you're employed, self-employed, retired, or have never been employed. For a copy, call 800/772-1213.