The American Dream | Marketplace.org

Marketplace Money takes a look at the American Dream. For many people the pursuit of happiness includes homeownership, education, retirement, and access to health care. Listen and explore stories in our special series on the American Dream.

11 personal finance basics from...

'The Golden Girls'

How to get rid of your student loans without paying

Quiz: Is that a real college scholarship?

Game: Match the famous house to its TV show

Paying for college: We don't spend as much as we think

A guide to U.S. retirement accounts

25 totally bizarre scholarships you can apply for

"If you could start saving maybe 10 percent in your 20s for retirement, by your 30s you might have to save 15 or 20 percent, by your 40s you might have to save 20-25 percent. Once you're in your 50s you'd have to save 40 percent of your income to match what you would have gotten if you'd saved just 10 percent starting in your 20s.""

-Liz Weston, personal finance columnist

How to negotiate your health care bills

What should homebuyers ask themselves before entering the market?

What will mortgages look like after Fannie and Freddie?

STUDENT LOAN DEBT:

THE NEXT CRISIS?

Setting limits: Advice on paying for college

Advice on 529s and other college savings plans

What to do with your mortgage when you retire...

10% of all health care dollars are spent in the last year of life. That's

$270 billion

How do you know if you have good health insurance?

""In today's market, you'd better be ready with your pre-approval, your credit reports, your proof of funds and the ones who really do well now are the ones who have actual underwriting approval. So, they're not pre-approved, they're actually approved."

-Tracy King, realtor

Mr. Money Mustache: Inspiration for wannabe retirees

Letter: My love, my Health Savings Account

The pain of paying for health care in the U.S.

Handling end-of-life health care

On MarketplaceMoney.org

Open House 101: Buyer be ready!

Navigating your retirement future

Low-income folks should build wealth, then buy a home

Employer health plans get the 401(k) treatment

How race can impact your health care

On MarketplaceMoney.org

Produced by Daryl Paranada

"If you have any doubt of what's in your [health care] plan, go to your HR department or call the insurance company that sold it to you and say 'I want to see the summary of benefits and coverage.''

-Nancy Metcalf, senior writer, Consumer Reports

The skinny on short sales and other real estate questions answered

On MarketplaceMoney.org

" I would certainly recommend that people have saved up a 10 percent down payment and feel that they're going to stay in the house for at least five years."

-Alison Rogers, realtor