What Harry says: I can still hear the echoes of one of my law prof's screaming admonition: "When you co-sign for a loan, it's worse than getting the loan yourself. . . ." That's similar to what's happening here. Why should the bank let you off the hook? They got you to co-sign because they were worried about her ability or willingness to repay the loan. Never co-sign unless you're ready to make the payments yourself! Unless you see to it that she repays on time, your credit will be hurt. Even worse, the bank could come after you to repay the loan. Sorry.

Dear Harry: My mother had a neighbor for more than 50 years. They were best friends. My mother had her power of attorney and she had mother's. They were each the executors and beneficiaries of the other's will. The will goes back to 1989. About five years ago, she started to show signs of aging. She started to pay some of her electric and phone bills twice. She paid an insurance bill three times. At some point, she told mother to please help her pay her bills, which mother did on a regular basis. The neighbor died about 10 weeks ago. Shortly after the death, her in-laws, who were estranged from her and her husband for more than 30 years, came to my mother and said they wanted to take her cats. Everyone knew that our neighbor always had three or four cats. At that time, they also took the keys to her SUV, which still had a big loan on it. Mother got them to sign a receipt. The estate has bank accounts and CDs worth about $35,000, a house worth about $90,000, and a life-insurance policy with my mother as beneficiary worth $20,000. We had the bank freeze the money. They filed some kind of paper to prevent mother from getting access to the bank accounts. We have heard that it will cost at least $50,000 to fight them. We have no money to do this. Where can we get inexpensive legal help?

What Harry says: Did you probate the will? It doesn't appear that you did. Get your mother and at least one of the witnesses down to the office of the Register of Wills. That will start the ball rolling in your favor. I don't know if these in-laws are formally protesting the will, but it's of so long standing that I think the court won't give them the time of day. Since your mother is beneficiary of the insurance policy, she should have no trouble getting that $20,000. That could very well be more than you need to get a lawyer to defend the will. If that money is also tied up, the Bar Association and our many local law schools will be able to recommend someone to help. Good luck!

Dear Harry: Can you please help to "unconfuse" me? I'm hearing a lot about government grant programs to help people keep their homes with huge mortgages and buy new ones. If the government has all this extra money, why isn't it fixing up our decaying neighborhoods? Many of the areas don't have a single supermarket, dress shop, pet store or home-repair store. Why are we giving money to people who don't need it like oil companies and farmers?

What Harry says: You are really asking a political question. If you want the government to respond to your priorities, you have to get people with the same priorities elected. Make your voice heard at the polls and through the mail. Become involved in getting others to do the same. Elected officials are very concerned when their constituents lean on them heavily.

Dear Harry: I filed my 2007 income tax return early in April. I owed $199, which I paid with the return. I just learned that health-insurance premiums are deductible. I paid pretty substantial premiums every year and never deducted them. Can I go back and re-file my returns? How far back can I go?

What Harry says: Health-insurance premiums are deductible. You can file amended returns on form 1040X for 2005, 2006 and 2007. However, it may not pay to do this. First of all, in order to be deductible, your total medical expenses must exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income, and only the excess is deductible. This amount, together with some of the taxes you paid, some interest, charitable contributions, casualty losses in excess of 10 percent of your adjusted gross income, and certain income producing expenses give you the deductible total. If this total exceeds the standard deduction for each year, you will get a benefit. If not, the standard deduction will be best. It may pay you to file an amended return for some years and not others.

Dear Harry: At the age of 53, and after much soul searching and emotional upheaval, I am now beginning to change a lifelong pattern of spending that resulted in $50,000 (that's no typo) in credit-card debt. I need not tell you of the vast amounts of interest I have paid. I am firmly committed to get out of debt in the next four to five years. I am now concerned about maximizing my retirement income once I have that debt down to zero. I am single with no dependents, and I hope to retire at 65. I intend to go for a Roth IRA on the day I'm debt-free. I do not own a home. My job is very secure and I earn just under $80,000. My employer has contributed about $200,000 to a pension plan, and that will continue. I have no family safety net so I have to be sure I'm OK when the salary stops. I want to know if my SS and pension will be enough.

What Harry says: Being single with no dependents gives you a great opportunity to get things on track. First of all, I think five years is a bit long for that debt project. With an income of $80,000, I'd like you to tighten that belt to the notch that gets you out in under three years. You might be able to get a bank loan at a lower interest rate to help you. At that point you can continue to use the money from paying the debt to enhance your pension plans with Roth contributions and contributions to your company plan if allowed. Put that Roth money into a target-date mutual fund with either Fidelity or Vanguard or both. For your next car purchase, stay away from the luxury ones. Consider a less expensive apartment when your lease is up. If you're careful, these moves will not cramp your lifestyle too much. That should do the trick. Remember, the way to get ahead is to live beneath your means. Before you retire, get a good long-term-care insurance policy. These measures should work out nicely with a very decent retirement. *

Write Harry Gross c/o the Daily News, Box 7788, Philadelphia, PA 19101. Harry urges all his readers to give blood - contact the American Red Cross at 800-GIVE LIFE.