Dear Liz: My bookkeeper cousin told me I could get half my husband’s Social Security instead of my own. I took Social Security at 66, when my benefit was $1,300. My husband waited until 70, when his was $3,295. Does that mean I could be getting a monthly check for $1,600? Answer: Probably not. Spousal benefits can […]
Recent Blog Posts
Q&A: Taking half your spouse’s Social Security payment can be better than taking your own.
Q&A: A husband handles the investing. What happens when he’s gone?
Dear Liz: My husband has always handled our investments. He doesn’t think it makes sense to pay someone 1% to do what he can do on his own. As we’re getting older, I’m starting to worry about what I would do if he dies first. We also have a friend who got scammed, and it’s made […]
Q&A: Giving your money away? The IRS wants to know about it.
Dear Liz: You recently wrote that “the only givers who have to pay taxes are those who have given away millions in their lifetimes.” I tend to be generous with my offspring who are the beneficiaries of my trust. For example, I gave a down payment on a house to my son last year. Because of […]
Q&A: When giving cash gifts, does anyone need to pay taxes?
Dear Liz: I am a widow age 95. I would like to give my three kids, who are in their 60s, $5,000 each this year. What are the taxes, and who pays them? Answer: Gifts aren’t taxable to the recipients, and the only givers who have to pay taxes are those who have given away millions […]
Q&A: Is it only the bread winners who get Social Security?
Dear Liz: How is it that elderly people who have never contributed to Social Security can collect a check? My wife’s grandmother was getting more than $1,000 a month. Answer: Spousal and survivor benefits are nearly as old as the Social Security program itself. Social Security was signed into law in 1935. Initially, benefits were only […]
Q&A: The new roof is done. Now, what’s the smart way to pay for it?
Dear Liz: I borrowed $35,000 from my home equity account a couple of years ago to pay for a new roof. The house is paid for; there is no mortgage. My wife thinks I should pay off the balance, which is $29,000. This would create a significant gap in our liquid assets. The current payment […]
Books
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Your Credit Score: How to Improve the 3-Digit Number that Shapes Your Financial Future (5th edition)
Improve your credit score, for real, with the #1 best-selling guide you can trust! Today, a good credit score is essential for getting credit, getting a job, even getting car insurance or a cellphone. Now, best selling journalist Liz Pulliam Weston has thoroughly updated her top-selling guide to credit scores, with crucial new information for protecting (or rebuilding) yours.
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Deal with Your Debt: Free Yourself from What You Owe
Struggling with debt? Get realistic help that's actually useful.
In this extensively updated guide, you can discover how to control and manage debt effectively. You'll learn which debts can actually help build wealth over time, and which are simply toxic. You'll find up-to-date, real-world strategies for assessing and paying off debt, money-saving insights on which debts to tackle first, and crucial information about everything from debt consolidation loans to credit scores and credit counseling. Weston offers practical guidelines for assessing how much debt is safe -- and compassionate, realistic guidance if you've gone beyond the safety zone. If you've ever worried about debt, you'll find the new edition of Deal with Your Debt absolutely indispensable.
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There Are No Dumb Questions About Money: Answers and Advice to Help You Make the Most of Your Finances
There’s a myth in our society that some people are just naturally “good” with money. So naturally, everybody else must be “bad”--or at least, dumb--if they’re not sure what to do.
The reality is, no one is born a money expert. Those who are “good” with money had to learn: by reading, asking questions, and consulting people who know more than they do. No one knows everything, and the only dumb questions are the ones you don’t ask.
This collection of money questions and answers can help you solve your most pressing concerns about your finances. You can buy this ebook on iTunes or on Amazon.
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The 10 Commandments of Money: Survive and Thrive in the New Economy
From the #1 personal finance columnist on the Internet (Nielsen/NetRatings)-a clear prescription for financial health in the 2010s and beyond.
For previous generations, living within your means was a simple formula. Now, with the staggering rise in education, health care, and housing costs, millions of people find themselves skating from paycheck to paycheck with no idea how to move forward.
As the most-read personal finance columnist on the Internet, Liz Weston has heard the questions and has the answers. Her 10 Commandments of Money will help readers avoid critical mistakes, survive the bad times, and thrive in the good ones.
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Easy Money: How to Simplify Your Finances and Get What You Want Out of Life
Common sense. Easy solutions. Plain English.
Best selling author, Liz Weston, takes on the problem everyone has, and nobody talks about: the sheer hassle of managing your money! Weston offers practical guidance and easy checklists for every decision: investments, credit cards, insurance, mortgages, retirement, college savings, and more! Discover how to consolidate, delegate, and automate your finances…save time and money…and live a more rewarding, secure life!