Workplace expert Ellen Galinsky joined us for a live web chat Wednesday to answer your questions about flexible work hours and other issues related to “workflex.”

Ellen Galinsky is founder of the Families and Work Institute -- a nonprofit workplace think tank.

Here’s one of Ellen’s answers to a question from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A.)

Elliot asked:

“I work from home, mostly. I feel a little out of touch with the office culture. How do I remedy that?”

Ellen replied:

“Thanks for your question Elliot. There are ways to stay connected even when working from home. If you take time to call or schedule some time to work out of the office you can make the effort to chat with coworkers and stay in touch both personally and professionally. If you check out our new free guide on 'workflex' you can find plenty of ideas on how to make that work.”

You can continue the conversation with Ellen and the Families and Work Institute on Twitter here.

Here’s the full chat archive:

NBCNews.com’s economics reporter John Schoen joined us for a live Web chat Thursday to answer your questions about the “fiscal cliff.”

Here’s one of John’s answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A.)

Andrew asked:

"Isn’t the effect on the average person much more dire than what federal programs might be impacted? Isn’t that a small view to take? Isn’t the real impact on the ultimate total devaluation of the dollar and the complete erosion of people’s savings?"

John replied:

"Take a deep breath, Andrew. Yes, it’s entirely possible that a deficit that spirals out of control undermines confidence so badly that investors stop buying Treasury bonds - or more likely, demand higher interest rates. Those higher rates – in theory – could spark a massive inflation that would erode the buying power of the dollar, wiping out savings and producing another nasty period like the 1970s."

"We’re not saying it won’t happen. But it’s not at all inevitable – and we’re not close to that point yet. In fact, the turmoil in the rest of the world has increased demand fro Treasury bonds – that’s why rates are so low. As bad as it may seem at the moment, the US economy is still – by far – the biggest and strongest in the world."

Here’s the full chat archive:

TODAY Money financial expert David Bach joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday to answer your questions.

Here’s one of his answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A and video of David’s TV appearance this morning.)

Raymond asked:

“How much of an impact will paying an additional $100/month on my mortgage make? Thanks!”

David replied:

“Raymond, great question. Funny though...did you think I could guess by looking at the computer screen how large your mortgage was? Here is what you do. You go to bankrate.com and put in mortgage calculator (or Google) and you go to a mortgage calculator and then you run the numbers. You put in your mortgage amount. Your interest rate. Adding $100 a month and length of mortgage. Then there will be a button below that calculator that says (click or submit). You click on that button and then you get a calculation that shows you how much you will save and how many years or months faster you will have paid the loan off. Go try that today. It's free and easy.”

Here’s the full chat archive and David’s TV appearance:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here.

To sign up for an e-mail reminder for our next chat, click here.

Today Money financial expert Lynnette Khalfani-Cox joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday to answer your questions.

Here’s one of her answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A.)

Tony asked:

“Do you think it is prudent to reallocate 100 percent of 401 k into fixed income funds? To take advantage of the recent run up in the market while protecting [my money] from the uncertainty of the global and US economies?”

Lynnette replied:

“It's NEVER a good idea to put 100% of your 401(k) money into a single type of investment, not even so-called "safe" fixed income funds. You simply must have far broader diversification. It's estimated that 90% of your portfolio's performance is based on the MIX of investments you own. So it's way better to hold a range of securities especially as you save for retirement.”

NBC News’ Allison Linn joined us for a live web chat Thursday to discuss her story on people who went back to school during the weak economy and are still struggling (you can read the story here.)

Here’s one of her answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A):

Katie asked:

“How easy is it to discharge student loans in Bankruptcy?”

Allison replied:

“The short answer is: Extremely difficult. The way the laws are structured, in most cases a person who files for bankruptcy will not have student loans forgiven in the process. That's one big reason why you need to be really careful about how much student loan debt you take on.”

Here’s the full chat archive:

Today Money financial expert Farnoosh Torabi joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday to answer your questions.

Here’s one of her answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A and video of Farnoosh’s TV appearance this morning.)

Mat asked:

“I have between $50-$80K in cash and have no idea what to do with it. I'm in early 30s, own a home with wife and baby and need some advice on what to do with it.”

Farnoosh replied:

“Keep it in the bank! I understand you want to 'put it to work' but with a baby you will want the security of knowing that money is there and liquid. Of course, if that's more than you need in a rainy day account (and I suggest a 9-month rainy day reserve) … consider taking some and placing in a college savings account like a 529, or in long-term CDs where you can earn more than the standard .01% in a savings account.”

Here’s the full chat archive and Farnoosh’s TV appearance:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here. 

To sign up for an e-mail reminder for our next chat, click here.

Workplace expert Ken Matos joined us for a live web chat Thursday to answer your questions about the workplace.

Ken is Senior Director of Employment Research and Practice at the nonprofit workplace think tank Families and Work Institute.

He’s also co-author of the forthcoming book “WORKFLEX: The Essential Guide to Effective and Flexible Workplaces.”

Here’s one of Ken’s answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A.)

One guest asked:

“Why would my boss want to offer flexibility when there are 20 other people lined up to take my job?”

Ken replied:

“Many people question whether asking for workplace flexibility is a good choice in a rough economy. They tend to be afraid they will seem uncommitted or their employer will be unsympathetic. However, there are benefits for an organization from workplace flexibility that employers should be especially interested in during a rough economy.”

“For example, when employers and employees commit to honest communication about how to secure both a better work experience and high client satisfaction, organizations can become more proactive, efficient, and ultimately effective. Actually taking the effort to periodically examine how work gets done can lead to insights on how to do work more efficiently. Leslie Perlow, a researcher at Harvard Business School, just put out a great book entitled Sleeping with your Smartphone: How to Break the 24/7 Habit and Change the Way You Work. It describes how one high-speed consulting company used workplace flexibility to improve the effectiveness of their work and the morale of their employees (line and managerial) at the same time.”

“These conversations can also lead to less absenteeism because employees can work with their employer to minimize work-life conflicts. Let’s face it, an employee who needs to care for a sick relative is going to find some way to do it and it’s better for all involved to plan around the absence rather than have it be a secret surprise.”

A survey released Thursday shows that work time flexibility is worth more than money for some employees.

You can continue the conversation with Ken and the Families and Work Institute on Twitter here.

Here’s the full chat archive:

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan joined us for a live web chat on Friday, Aug. 24, to discuss education-related topics, such as student loans and the cost of college.

Here’s one of the Secretary’s answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A.)

Phil asked:

"Would you recommend students submit their FAFSAs to multiple schools to comparison shop among aid packages offered?"

Secretary Duncan replied:

"Yes, students absolutely should submit their FAFSA applications to multiple schools. We know that 75% send their FAFSA to only one school."

"Students should look at multiple schools when choosing college and choose one based on what's best for them, considering price, the quality of education, and graduation rates."

Secretary Duncan is the ninth U.S. secretary of education.

He has served in this post since his confirmation by the U.S. Senate on Jan. 20, 2009, following his nomination by President Barack Obama.

Here’s the full chat archive:

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan will join us for a live web chat on Friday, Aug. 24, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss education-related topics, such as student loans and the cost of college. He’ll also answer your general questions about how to finance an education.

(Sign up for an e-mail reminder for the chat here.)

Secretary Duncan is the ninth U.S. secretary of education. He has served in this post since his confirmation by the U.S. Senate on Jan. 20, 2009, following his nomination by President Barack Obama.

Do you have a question for Secretary Duncan?

If you do, you can ask it in advance of the chat here, or you can also also leave a question in the comment section below.

Friday’s jobs report for July showed U.S. employers created 163,000 jobs last month -- the most in five months. So has the employment market started to improve?

NBCNews.com’s John Schoen joined us for a live web chat Friday to discuss the job market and the economy.

One reader asked:

“Which factor do you think is holding back job growth the most: uncertainty over the "fiscal cliff", Europe's struggles, or low consumer spending?”

John replied:

“The immediate cause is #3 – but it’s not clear just why consumers have pulled back. It may be for the reasons cited in the answer to the last question – slow wage growth, too much debt, more retirees living on fixed incomes – or they may be responding to worries about #1 and #2. They have good reason to be concerned. The fiscal cliff – a package of massive tax increases and spending cuts set to hit at year end – would almost certainly spark a nasty recession unless Congress finds a compromise.”

You can view the entire Q&A with John here:

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Weddings don't have to be stressful. It just takes some planning ... and compromise.

Are you getting married this year or know somebody who is? The average cost of an American wedding is about $27,000 – and that doesn’t even include the cost of the honeymoon! 

Weddings should be –and usually are – blessed days of family, friends and fun. But they can often lead to stress and financial headaches. There's just so many questions.

What's the appropriate gift to give someone in their 20s? Or what about a second marriage gift? Is cash always preferred? How do I even begin making a budget? 

Do you have a questions about wedding finances? Or do you need advice on how to keep costs down? Send in your questions to TODAY.com  (use Wedding Advice in the subject field) and we may air it Wednesday, July 11, on TODAY. Please include your name and hometown along with your question. And if you Skype, let us know. Maybe we'll put your Skype question on air! 

Military.com

Rear Admiral T. McCreary (Ret.) and president of Military.com

Veterans face many challenges when they return home and start looking for work, everything from discrimination to a lack of training and skills for civilian jobs. But in the end, it’s up to vets themselves to leave the military behind and adapt to the nonmilitary work world.

That’s the message Rear Admiral T. McCreary (Ret.) who is president of Military.com sent during our live Web chat Wednesday. He took online questions from vets and their loved ones while attending the Hiring Our Heroes jobs fair event -- an initiative by NBC News and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- on the USS Intrepid aircraft carrier in New York. 

Here’s a sampling of the Q&A:

Jeremy asked:

“Why can't veterans find jobs?”

McCreary answered:

“Vets can find jobs. It's just hard work and requires a lot of learning and patience. There are jobs out there, it’s just finding them, translating skills and learning how to job hunt.”

And he defended efforts to focus on veteran’s unemployment flight, against readers who questioned why returning military deserved more help than those who never served.

April asked:

“Why do veterans deserve any more job placement assistance than folks who have not served?”

McCreary answered:

“I don't think it’s an issue of deserving more but leveling the playing field. Most vets join right out of school and have never had to job hunt. They've lived in a unique culture and speak a different language. As a result, they don't know enough to be competitive. I think all these programs are designed to bring veterans up to speed and help them compete in the broader job market.

"That said, many feel serving ones country should offer them a little leg up when job hunting as they are behind their piers in assimilating into the corporate world. Whether that is military service of some other type of national service, most think our vets do deserve some additional help to ensure they can ‘rejoin’ society in a more normal transition.”

For more of this enlightening discussion and targeted tips for vets struggling to find job, check out a replay of the Web chat here: