Dear Liz: My spouse and I are retired. We have substantial investment assets, significant cash reserves and considerable equity in our home. Over nearly 40 years together, we’ve worked with several financial advisors, but every decade or so, we’ve become dissatisfied and moved on. Now, at this stage of life, we want a clearer roadmap for […]
Recent Blog Posts
Q&A: Should you pay for a financial plan before hiring an advisor?
Q&A: What should you do if an accountant ignores you?
Dear Liz: When my sister became somewhat disabled, I started handling her financial affairs. (I have a power of attorney.) She hadn’t paid her taxes for several years, so I worked with her accountant to get them filed and pay the necessary penalties. I thought she was up to date with both her federal and state […]
Q&A: Advisor may have overlooked tax bill alternatives
Dear Readers: The following comment was prompted by my response to the letter from a couple in their 70s asking if they had made a mistake moving their $2-million portfolio, including $340,000 in a taxable account, to a new advisor. The advisor recommended investment sales that resulted in a $50,000 capital gain tax bill, and their […]
Q&A: Are IRS quarterly payments mandatory?
Dear Liz: I live totally on my investment income. I receive the majority of my income at the end of the year, mostly dividends from my brokerage account. A couple of years ago, when talking to an IRS agent about another matter, I asked when I should make my estimated tax payment. I was told that […]
Q&A: How to find an estate planning attorney
Dear Liz: Is there a specific website to research estate planning attorneys in Southern California? Our attorney has retired and I elected not to have my file transferred to her successor attorney. Our trust documents are only six years old and there have been no material changes to our financial situation or beneficiaries. Answer: The internet is […]
Q&A: How do I find out if an advisor is a fiduciary?
Dear Liz: You often emphasize the importance of using a financial planner or advisor who is a fiduciary. But how does one know whether a given planner or advisor is a fiduciary? Is it just the planner or advisor claiming to be one? Are there any licensing laws or professional organizations that grant such a designation? […]
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!