Q: Compound interest is a way to save money and have your savings work hard for you over the course of your working career. Compound interest is earned by most bank accounts and retirement accounts. Specifically, compound interest refers to a situation where interest is earned on the principal (initial investment) plus interest earned up to that point. This allows it to build value faster than simple interest, in which interest is only earned on the principal.  For example, you can put away $1,000 per year for 30 years at 10% interest and have a nest egg of close to $200,000. You actually earned $170,000 on an investment of only $30,000. This is all due to the power of compounded interest. Furthermore, if you put that $30,000 in all at once in the beginning of the 30-year period, your total would instead be about $525,000. Search online for a compound interest calculator with the option to add a monthly or annual contribution. Input a reasonable interest for the type of investment account you plan to use and how many years you have until retirement as the time limit. Then, play around with the initial deposit and monthly contributions until you reach your goal for retirement.  For example, make your initial deposit the amount of money you currently have to put into retirement and start with an initial monthly deposit of a small amount ($50 or $100). Work up the monthly deposit amount until you reach your goal. You may find that you don't need to deposit much. A 25-year old that starts with $10,000 and deposits $100 per month until retirement at 65 will have over $550,000 by retirement.  The interest rate that you use will depend on the nature of your investment account. However, for preliminary purposes use 8 percent. This number represents the average return you can expect from a diversified securities portfolio over time. Based on the monthly amount that you need to save, create a monthly budget that takes this amount into account. Even if you can't afford the full amount now, set aside what you can and put it into your retirement account. The important thing is to stick to your plan over the years until retirement, when it will all be worth it. Saving some now for retirement can make it easier to save more later. That is, the act of setting aside even $50 per month now can make it easier for you to remember and have the ability to put in $300 per month when you can afford it. Over time, you will advance in your career and pay off debts that you currently have. You can then contribute this additional money to your retirement account. Remember, there is no harm in contributing money above the amount that you originally calculated. Most people end up contributing the most to retirement in their fifties and early sixties, as other expenses are reduced.  An easy way to shift money into your retirement account to contribute more when your children leave home. After they have started supporting themselves, take the money you were spending to support them and put it into retirement. This way, you won't even notice the increase in savings (except in your account balance). It may be tempting to reach into your retirement account for large purchases as the balance grows. However, any money you take out is money you can't have later and only reduces the amount of interest you can earn. In addition, any money taken out of the account is taxed as income as your standard tax bracket rate. Those under age 59.5 will also have to pay an additional 10 percent penalty on the withdrawal.   You can prevent having to use this account for emergency expenses by keeping an emergency account that contains at least six months' worth of living expenses. You can prevent paying taxes on your retirement account when you switch jobs by rolling over the balance into a retirement account with your new employer.
A: Understand compound interest. Calculate how much you need to save each month. Create a saving plan. Increase your savings if you can. Don't touch your money until you retire.

Q: If you have later stage cancer or if surgery is not your preference and you have stage I cancer, talk to your doctor about radiation therapy. Radiation therapy requires multiple visits, but the advantage is that it is not invasive like surgery (i.e. it does not require cutting into you to remove the cancer). There are two types of radiation that are commonly used to treat cervical cancer. The first is called external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), in which the radioactive beams are emitted from a source outside your body and directed toward your cervix and the surrounding area. The second type of radiation therapy is called brachytherapy — rods containing radiation are inserted through the vagina up against the cervix. They are then left there for one to two days and emit local radiation which works to treat the cervical cancer. This is done in the hospital.  Again, the extent of radiation as well as the effectiveness of this mode of treatment depends upon the stage and severity of your cervical cancer. Radiation treatment can have significant side effects. EBRT may cause fatigue, upset stomach, diarrhea, skin damage, bladder discomfort, vaginal pain, anemia, and menstrual changes (including early menopause). Brachytherapy may cause irritation of the vagina and vulva. Fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, irritation of the bladder, and low blood counts may also occur.  Long-term effects of radiation treatment may include vaginal scarring, which may make vaginal sex painful. You may also experience vaginal dryness, swelling of the legs, and it may weaken your bones. Radiation is most commonly combined with chemotherapy. This is because, for cervical cancer, the combination of radiation and chemotherapy is synergistic and provides significant additional benefit (rather than simply opting for one or the other). When chemotherapy is combined with radiation, as described above, it is termed "chemoradiation." This can be a very effective mode of treatment, because the chemotherapy has what is called a "sensitizing effect" on the tissues on and around the cervix. What this means is that the tissues then become more susceptible to the radiation, and it is as such that the combined modality of treatment gains its synergistic effect. Unfortunately, many of the most effective methods for treating cervical cancer can have deleterious effects on one's future ability to have children. As a result, your doctor may recommend that you freeze some of your eggs prior to undergoing treatment such as radiation, so that the eggs do not become damaged due to the treatment. Most women will need to have a surrogate carry the pregnancy if they freeze their eggs.
A:
Inquire about radiation. Undergo chemotherapy treatments. Understand that you may need to have some of your eggs frozen prior to treatment.