According to a recent analysis of mutual funds, 401(k) plans, and individual retirement accounts, hidden and buried fees charged to investors totaled in the hundreds of billions of dollars last year. Too often, this fee disclosure is tucked inside the archaic language of a fund prospectus.

Check your funds fee expense ratio to see how much of your nest egg is disappearing. Learn more about fee disclosure issues in this interview with Rep. George Miller.

The White House is proposing major changes to the way the student loan market functions.  For years, private lenders have used government subsidies to provide loans to students and compete with one another for market share.  Critics complain that large financial institutions are reaping big profits from the arrangement, while others believe private competition serves students best.

The proposal is gaining traction in Washington.  The federal government has also been looking into new repayment schemes to address the effect of student debt on new graduates.

In the midst of the biggest financial crisis in generations, we are forced to face the reality that too many of us are financially illiterate – unable to make informed choices about our financial decisions. The Center for Sensible Finance seeks to highlight issues and potential solutions to policy makers and to provide resources to enable us to be savvy in our financial life.