When Erica Hopper and her husband decided to use in vitro fertilization to conceive their second child, she wasn't sure how they were going to pay for it. They'd already had a daughter successfully via intrauterine insemination, or IUI, but weren't having success during their second attempt with the procedure. Fortunately, the family was there to help. "My in-laws wrote us a check for $15,000," says Hopper, 34, who lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. The IVF round was successful. Today, she has a...

When it comes to how Americans are handling their finances, the numbers are concerning. For example, the stats aren't good on saving for retirement or saving for an emergency. The numbers are just as bad when looking at credit card debt and student loans. And let's not even get started on financial literacy – or the lack thereof. "We really try to avoid scaring people, but I am continually surprised and concerned about some of the statistics," says Ted Beck, president and CEO of the National...

Maintaining adequate insurance coverage is just the first step toward surviving a financial or health emergency. Here's why: Depending on the type of insurance you need to tap and the way your policy is structured, you may wait several months before receiving a check from the insurer. During that time, you'll potentially need to pay medical bills, funeral expenses, living costs or other fees. So having a plan in place for making ends meet while you await an insurance settlement is part of...

For Chris Preksta, co-launching the now-popular YouTube show "Pittsburgh Dad" was a "happy accident." In 2011, Preksta filmed his co-creator Curt Wootton performing an amusing impression of his father's Pittsburgh-inflected accent, and the pair edited it to look like a family sitcom. They uploaded it to YouTube, primarily to share with their own families. But soon, the video was receiving tens of thousands of views and gaining coverage on local media stations. Today, the digital series has...

Meeting with a financial professional can be key to getting your finances on track. But one thing that doesn't make it easier: When your financial advisor seems to be speaking an entirely different language. U.S. News tapped certified financial planners to round up their least favorite financial jargon – and to translate what your financial professional is actually saying. Money experts use this term to talk about how you divide up your portfolio into various investment categories – stocks,...