Simple solutions to boost your money IQ

Jan. 28--With Christmas bills coming due and a massive $1.5 trillion federal tax overhaul about to kick in, the winter of 2018 has become a challenging season for managing one's personal finances.

That's why the Times Free Press has gathered a team of freelance writers, reporters and editors to produce the 2018 Money Guide, a 24-page collection of tips and topics to help you make good money decisions.

In the following pages, we've done our best to share useful information on four fronts: taxes, investing and saving, banking and credit, and insurance. We've tracked down local experts, cast a net for informative graphics, and pulled together previously-published articles from our Edge business magazine in hopes of making your 2018 a more manageable and profitable year.

Some of the topics in the section are taken from today's headlines:

When will the tax reductions you are hearing about from Washington actually land in your paychecks?

How do you sort out health insurance choices given changes in the Affordable Care Act?

How do you pick advisers to help you navigate the ever-changing laws governing personal finance?

Meanwhile, some of the topics are more evergreen:

How much money do you need to retire comfortably?

How do you make a family budget that actually works?

I need a loan, so which banks are Chattanooga's largest?

For those wanting to take a deeper dive into personal finance there are articles included in the Money Guide about the intricacies of reverse mortgages and the advantages of long-term care insurance for protecting assets.

So, while the days are still short, put another log on the fire and dive into the 2018 Money Guide. A year from now, your balance sheet may be glad you did.

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