Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: Why you should pay your credit card bill before it’s due. Also in the news: How to break a bad money habit, what the IRS is doing to prevent identity theft, and how one late mortgage payment can wreak havoc with your credit score.

4 Reasons to Pay Your Credit Card Bill Before It’s Due
Improving your credit score is one of them.

How to Change a Bad Money Habit
Reward yourself for better behavior.

IRS Aims Harder to Protect You Against Identity Theft
New steps to protect tax payers.

Will Obamacare Ruin Your Tax Refund?
Probably not.

How Much a Late Mortgage Payment Can Damage Your Credit Score
A single late payment could pack a wallop.

Friday’s need-to-know money news

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: Why you should treat your savings like the government treats your taxes. Also in the news: The hidden costs of your shopping habits, a 12-month guide to staying on the right financial track, and how to optimize your student loans in the new year.

Treat Savings Like a Tax to Ensure You Do It
Government-style savings.

The Real Cost of Your Shopping Habits
“The road to bankruptcy is paved with good deals.”

Your 12-Month Guide to Staying on the Right Financial Track in 2015
Taking it month-by-month.

5 Ways to Optimize Your Student Loans in 2015
How to cut costs and pay them off sooner.

Does Everyone Need a Credit Card?
You’d be surprised.

January tune-up: Your credit cards

air-miles-cardCredit card rewards programs change so often that it makes sense to review your “credit portfolio” at least once a year—and now’s as good a time as any.

This post is directed at people with good credit who don’t carry balances. If that’s not you, then focus on paying off your credit card debt and store this information for future use.

If you do have good credit, you probably want to keep it that way. That means not closing or opening a bunch of accounts at once. You can, however, selectively prune your portfolio by closing an account or two and add the occasional new card without tanking your scores. Just don’t open or close accounts while you’re in the market for a major loan such as a mortgage, HELOC or auto loan.

With those caveats covered, your first task is to review the cards you have now to see if they still deserve a place in your wallet. The first to go: any card you’re not using that charges an annual fee. If the card doesn’t charge a fee but you haven’t used it in a year or more—and see no reason to do so in the future—you’ll have to weigh whether the hassle of monitoring the account outweighs the potential ding to your credit.

Because we have more than two dozen open credit accounts, many with high limits, I finally shut down a couple old Chase cards we hadn’t used in eons…with no perceptible impact on my scores. I also shut down a British Airways card that charged an annual fee because I had a better alternative—a Starwood Preferred Guest Amex card that has a great earn rate and a huge array of ways to use rewards, including a way to dump points into my British Airways frequent flier program, should I want to do so.

Next scrutinize the cards you do use. Are you able to earn rewards at a good clip and cash them in easily? You should be getting an average rewards rate of at least 1 percent and preferably closer to 2 percent of your purchases. (Some programs deliver even more.) If you’re not using your rewards, are you working toward a reasonable short-term goal? Given how fast points and miles get devalued, you don’t want to delay too long in using them. Remember the mantra: Earn ’em and burn ’em.

Now see if there may be better cards for your needs. Check out NerdWallet’s list of best reward cards, which is updated frequently. (Looks like you also can ask for advice and recommendations in the comments.) Another site I like to check for great travel rewards card offers is The Points Guy.

Think about how and where you use your cards and what type of rewards you’re after. Cash-back cards are typically the easiest rewards to get and redeem. Hotel cards can give you elite status with certain perks. Airline-branded cards can make sense for frequent fliers—if you check a couple of bags on a couple of flights, you’ll often offset the annual fee. More general travel cards can allow you to put miles into different plans or offset the costs of travel.

Ideally, you’ll find a card that meets your needs while offering a fat sign-up bonus. To get the bonus, you’ll have to spend a certain amount within a certain time, so make sure you can do that before you submit the application.

While cars no longer require traditional tune-ups, your finances still do. This month I’ll be reviewing some areas of your money that deserve some extra scrutiny and offering suggestions for the best moves now. Stay tuned for more posts–and to make sure you don’t miss any, you can sign up for my newsletter using the link on my home page.

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

download (1)Today’s top story: Knowing when you’ve been hit with a higher interest rate on your credit cards. Also in the news: Tips for an easier tax season, why your spending habits are killing your budget, and how you’re gambling with your money and don’t even know it.

How to Tell If You’ve Been Hit With a Higher Interest Rate on a New Credit Card
Introducing the Risk-Based Pricing Rule.

4 Steps to a Smoother Tax Season
It doesn’t have to be painful.

Examine Your Spending Habits Instead of Creating Categorized Budgets
Your habits could be dismantling your budget.

5 Things to Do Now to Avoid Freaking Out Over Taxes in April
Make your life a little easier.

5 Ways You’re Gambling With Your Money
And may not even know it.

Friday’s need-to-know money news

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: Bouncing back from a holiday debt hangover. Also in the news: How to boost your credit score, which financial documents you need to keep, and five free financial apps.

How to Bounce Back From the Holiday Debt Hangover
Time to pick the tinsel out of your wallet.

The Best Way to Boost Your Credit Score in 2015
Increasing your credit limit will decrease your debt ratio.

Cleaning Your Financial House: 4 Items to Keep and 4 to Shred
What you should keep and what you should destroy.

Five Great Financial Apps That Are Free
Help right at your fingertips.

The Best Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Your Money
Spending that will pay off in the long run.

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: A month-by-month guide to staying on financial track. Also in the news: How to avoid making a big financial mistake, why you should consider a “money diet”, and how to simplify your 2015 finances.

A month-by-month guide to staying on financial track in 2015
Taking it one month at a time.

Don’t Make This Big Personal Finance Mistake
Why not having a credit card could do more harm than good.

Spending Hangover? Time For A Financial Cleanse
Clearing the financial fog.

Consider a Month-Long “Money Diet” to See How Savings Add Up
No cheating.

5 Ways to Simplify Your Finances in 2015
How to make things easier.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: How to choose your first credit card. Also in the news: Creating a secret financial goal number, unnecessary purchases that are killing your budget, and how to decide between a bank or a credit union.

You’re Finally Getting Your First Credit Card: How to Choose
Finding the card that best suits your needs.

Create a “Secret Number” to Make Your Financial Goal More Specific
Having a personalized number will help keep your goal in sight.

10 Unnecessary Purchases That Are Eating Up Your Budget
Small everyday purchases can add up to big bucks.

The Pros and Cons of a Credit Union Versus a Bank
Which one is right for you?

5 New Year’s Resolutions to Save on Taxes
How to keep more money in your pocket instead of the government’s.

Q&A: Using a separate credit card for online purchases and automatic payments

Dear Liz: I saw your recent column from the couple upset about the inconvenience of having to reset the automatic payments when their credit card was reissued due to fraud. We had the same problem (our credit card has been reissued six times now!) and got some great advice I’d like to share. We got a separate credit card that is used for nothing but automatic payments and online purchases. It has never been hacked like our other card that we use constantly in the community because we earn airline miles. The last two times our regular card had to be replaced was in the Target and Home Depot hacking, but the other card has been fine so far. We are keeping our fingers crossed. Our issuer has now given us a chip card to replace the constantly hacked one, so I hope we have better luck going forward with both credit cards.

Answer: Several other readers wrote to say they do something similar by using different cards for different purposes, including devoting one to making automatic charges.

It might be wise to have a separate card just for online purchases, however, since the incidence of “card not present” fraud (including online and phone transactions) is higher than that for transactions where the card is physically presented to the merchant.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

321562-data-breachesToday’s top story: The big security threats headed our way in the new year. Also in the news: How to beef up your savings, what millennials should discuss before marriage, and tips on managing your credit cards in the new year.

The Big Scams & Security Threats to Watch Out for in 2015
If you thought 2014 was bad…

7 Ways to Beef Up Your Savings
Give your savings a workout.

4 Financial Issues Millennials Need to Discuss Before Marriage
Putting everything out in the open.

10 Tips for Managing Credit Cards in 2015
How to do a better job in the new year.

How Will You Keep Your Financial Resolutions?
You must commit.

Monday’s need-to-know money news

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: How to give yourself a gift without breaking your holiday budget. Also in the news: What you need to ask before buying a winter home, the big tax changes ahead for 2015, and how to avoid going into debt with your first credit card.

How to Treat Yourself Without Breaking Your Christmas Budget
Who knows what you want for Christmas better than you?

5 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Winter Home
Can you truly afford to become a snowbird?

The Biggest Tax Changes for 2015
Get ready.

First Credit Card: Tips to Avoid Going Into Debt
Don’t start off on the wrong foot.

Track Your Mileage to Save Money on Insurance
Using a mileage tracker provided by your insurer could save you big bucks.