I want to thank you, the readership, for responding to my request to help each other cut out daily expenses and pay down debt. Many of you sent in tips you are using to help cut expenses. I promised I would include some of the responses in the next newsletter so here they are!

Q. When I retire, can I roll over my lump-sum pension distribution and my 401(k) into my existing traditional IRA? Is there any reason not to?

Go for it. If you're confident investing your pension dollars rather than going with your employer's annuity, you might as well keep all your money in one place. Having one account allows you keep fees at a minimum and simplify your asset allocation - not to mention your bookkeeping. Besides, even if you did have separate IRAs, the Internal Revenue Service would still view them collectively as one pot when it comes to issues like determining your required minimum distributions when you reach age 70½. So why wouldn't you want to have just one? You might want separate accounts for estate-planning purposes if you have more than one IRA beneficiary, says Christine Fahlund, senior financial planner for T. Rowe Price. Also if you have highly appreciated employer stock in your 401(k), you might want to roll that portion into a taxable account instead. Assuming those situations don't apply, just make sure you do a "direct rollover." Translation? Have the money sent directly from your employer to your IRA provider, rather than to you. This ensures it will be a tax-free maneuver.

Variety Of Courses That I Teach

Lately I have had several people say "I did not know you taught that course!" or "I did not know you customized courses (at no additional charge) for various levels within a company and departments!" I teach not only Finance and Accounting, but also Motivation, Strategy, SOX, Investing, and Management as well as consulting projects. So, I thought I would share with you a short summary of my primary courses.

Belly Dancer Story
I was on a plane flying from one part of the country to another. I was chatting with 55-year-old lady (my guess at the age) on the plane. And "Time" had not been good to her. I had never seen her before. She seemed to be a sophisticated lady with appropriate jewelry.

At one point in the conservation, I said, "What do you like to do? I was stunned when, with a certain glee in her voice, she said , "I really, really like to Belly Dance! I have belly dancing since I was a teenager and I still belly dance about twice a week. I like belly dancing so much, I even taught my daughters to belly dance."

I caught my mouth before it dropped completely to the floor. Since I did not follow up on her Belly Dancer remark she asked me if I had any kids.