Dear Liz: I am a 56-year-old married U.S. citizen. My husband of six years was deported to the United Kingdom. Appeals to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services were denied. He can never return. I remain in the U.S. and will do so at least until I retire, likely at age 72. What status should I claim […]
Recent Blog Posts
Q&A: A husband is deported, leaving his American wife with questions about tax filings
Q&A: Why Every Adult Needs a Financial and Healthcare Power of Attorney
Dear Liz: Please tell your audience that if they have any bank accounts, loans, credit cards or utilities, they should legally appoint someone to make decisions for them if they should become ill or injured. The backstory: My then-40-year-old son went to the hospital with a stomachache. He fortunately told the hospital I could make healthcare […]
Q&A: How to Choose a Trusted Financial Advisor for Long-Term Care Insurance and Asset Protection
Dear Liz: My 68-year-old husband has Alzheimer’s disease. I thought we were responsible, having a nice nest egg of over $2 million, a house that is paid off and no debts. However, I am now terrified that it will all be depleted because of long-term care costs. Per your advice, I consulted a fee-only financial planner […]
Q&A: Clarification on How Social Security Benefit Estimates Are Calculated
Dear Liz: A while back, you responded to a letter writer that Social Security’s estimates of the amount a person will receive assumes the person will continue working until they apply for benefits. I thought the amount a person receives was based on the average of the highest 30 years’ of earnings over a person’s […]
Q&A: Rolling over a 401(k) account after starting a new job — at age 73
Dear Liz: My wife, who turned 73 this year, worked for a company until Aug. 31. She started a new job with another company the following day. She plans to roll the 401(k) from the previous company into the 401(k) of the new company. Would she need to withdraw her required minimum distribution from the […]
This week’s money news
This week’s top story: As rates fall, should you refinance your student loans? In other news: Weekly mortgage rates rise for 6th straight week, where the candidates stand on personal finance issues, and how credit cards can help you navigate major life changes. As Rates Fall, Should You Refinance Your Student Loans? Consider refinancing private student loans […]
Books
Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.
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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!