Dear Liz: A reader mentioned recently their credit score dropped only four points after closing a credit card they had since 1981. Three years ago I closed a credit card that was over 30 years old and my credit score dropped 20 to 35 points, depending on the credit reporting bureau. My score hasn’t gone up […]
Recent Blog Posts
Q&A: Account closure caused long-lasting score drop
Q&A: Do I need a will if I don’t have much money?
Dear Liz: I have less than $5,000 in my savings account, a 12-year-old car and a mortgage with a $200,000 balance. I am 67 and can’t decide whether to make a will. I live alone and have no children. I have three siblings, but am only close to one. I hate to spend money on […]
Q&A: Bad advice about closing credit accounts?
Dear Liz: Recently, you advised someone that it was OK to cancel a credit card. When someone responded saying they did just that and got a 4-point hit on their credit rating, you again stated it was nothing more than a short-term glitch and not to worry. And you call yourself a “certified” financial advisor? You […]
Q&A: How can a family break a dynasty trust?
Dear Liz: My mother recently died at the age of 93. My sisters and I are her beneficiaries, and all of us are in our 60s. Unbeknownst to us, one of her assets is a “dynasty trust,” established in 1964, that can only be used for “care” and “education.” The lawyer never told us this and […]
Q&A: Foreign tax credit delays substantial IRS refund
Dear Liz: My tax professional submitted amended tax returns for 2023, 2022 and 2021 a year ago. I’m supposed to receive a nice refund for those years but I have heard nothing from the IRS and cannot get any information from its website. I asked my tax professional about it and she said the foreign tax […]
Q&A: Early Social Security start doesn’t affect survivor benefits
Dear Liz: I started collecting my Social Security at age 62 because I had cancer and could not work. My husband is now ill and will pass on soon. Will I still be able to get my husband’s Social Security, which is much higher than mine, when he passes on? Answer: Yes. Surviving spouses get the larger […]
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!