Dear Liz: I read your column about the parent who unexpectedly had to take over for their incapacitated son. You suggested every adult have a power of attorney and healthcare proxy. Excellent advice! However, as I discovered in dealing with my father’s illness and estate, these general documents are not always recognized by the very […]
Recent Blog Posts
Q&A: Financial institutions reject powers of attorney
Q&A: When money disappears from a mother’s estate
Dear Liz: My mother recently passed and my sister is handling all the legalities. At one point, my sister mentioned our mother had a sizable savings account plus two retirement accounts valued at $400,000, and that I would receive something. Now she is simply saying, “I don’t know where the money has gone.” She handled […]
Q&A: Counting freeloading relatives as a hardship? Not so fast, the IRS says
Dear Liz: I lived in a house for 45 years. During that time, my daughter and her family moved in due to the 2008 financial crisis. I have not charged her rent. However, I moved out five years ago, and her family is still there rent-free. I understand that when I sell, I will owe […]
Q&A: Spousal and survivor benefits operate by different rules
Dear Liz: I believe you provided bad information to the woman inquiring about Social Security spousal benefits for her husband. You suggested to her that since she was the higher income spouse, that she wait until age 70 to maximize the benefit her husband could receive. I used to think that was the case as […]
Q&A: Credit card debt doesn’t disappear when you die
Dear Liz: I am an 80-year-old female in generally good health. My only family is my unmarried 54-year-old son. The only debt I have is credit card debt of about $30,000 at 0% interest. It’s in my name alone. My house and car have been registered with “transfer on death” designations. My son’s name is […]
Q&A: Planning for retirement in a volatile market
Dear Liz: I have a retirement account at work and a stock portfolio. Both are down significantly this year and I’m tired of losing money. What are the safest options now? Answer: Before the “what” you need to think about the “why” and the “when.” Why are you investing in the first place? And when […]
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!