Question: My spouse and I will be inheriting about $750,000 to $800,000. The payoff balance of our mortgage is estimated at about $180,000 at 3.5 percent APR for 30 years. Would it be worthwhile to allocate some of the money we are inheriting to pay off the mortgage loan? We still have 27 years left to pay. Alternatively, should I invest the money and continue paying my mortgage?

Question: I have a one year old child. Is it too early to start a portfolio for my child, and would it be better to start off with a stock or a bond?

Question: I have about $93,000 invested in non-retirement mutual funds. I have been considering trying to time the market by selling these funds when I sense a bear market approaching (incurring a $1,700 capital loss) and then buying the same funds at a cheaper price once the bear market has arrived. I have no debt and an emergency fund. Is this a good strategy, or too risky?

Question: To find the price-earnings ratio of a stock, I divide the current stock price with the last four quarters of earnings. If the current list price is higher than the number I get when I calculate the P/E ratio, what does that mean? Is the stock overvalued?

Question: My mother passed away a few weeks ago. She left five heirs who want to assure that their inheritance is not going to be subject to market risk before it is distributed. I told her advisor to liquidate most of her portfolio but he said the brokerage firm has frozen the account. What can be done?

Question: My mom recently passed away. She left myself and my siblings equal distributions from her brokerage accounts. Her financial advisor wants each of us to provide a detailed accounting of our current, personal investment accounts. He cites the need to comply with the Patriot Act. Does the Patriot Act require this?

Question: I am a stay at home mom. Me and my husband have six children. My husband has a great job. However, I would like to generate some income without having to work outside the home. I have been learning about trading, I want to invest in the stock market. What is the best place to start?