Liz Weston

Q&A: Here’s a tip to take advantage of rising interest rates

October 24, 2022 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: Now that interest rates on savings accounts have started to rise, I have a quick tip for you to share: Check the rate you’re getting on your accounts! I discovered my online bank changed its account structure a few years back, and legacy high-yield savings accountholders aren’t getting the recent increases. I was earning only a paltry 0.3% rate, while people who opened accounts more recently were earning over 2%. I’m sure many customers like me assumed they had high-yield accounts, since that’s what they opened originally, but they are, in fact, not receiving competitive rates.

Answer: Thank you for the heads-up. People who have certificates of deposit also should check whether those CDs have matured. Some banks renew the CDs at competitive rates, while others dump the proceeds in a low-rate account. A little vigilance can help you squeeze out a much better rate of return.

How to spot a great 401(k)

October 10, 2022 By Liz Weston

Any 401(k) can help you save for retirement. A great 401(k) allows you to save a whole lot more.

The difference between a mediocre plan and a great one could translate into tens of thousands of dollars in future retirement money. Plus, a 401(k)’s quality can show how serious a company is about attracting and retaining good workers.

That’s not to say you should leave or turn down a job if it doesn’t offer a great 401(k). But knowing how to spot a best-in-class retirement plan can help you evaluate job offers, negotiate a raise to compensate for what you’re missing and perhaps encourage your employer to make its plan better. In my latest for the Associated Press, learn three features of great 401(k)s.

This week’s money news

October 10, 2022 By Liz Weston

This week’s top story: Smart Money podcast on buy now, pay later loans and credit reports. In other news: What to do if your homebuying plan got scrapped this year, when the car market will return to normal, and 3 steps to lower the cost of your debt.

Smart Money Podcast: Money Hot Takes, and Too Many Credit Cards
This week’s episode starts with two hot takes from our hosts about buy now, pay later loans and credit reports.

What to Do If Your Homebuying Plan Got Scrapped This Year
Elevated prices, rising interest rates and steep competition are interrupting millennials’ plans to buy homes.

When Will the Car Market Return to Normal?
Car prices skyrocketed during the pandemic. It’s unlikely they’ll drop significantly anytime soon, experts say.

3 Steps to Lower the Cost of Your Debt
There are ways you can reduce the expense, but it helps to know each method’s details and trade-offs.

Q&A: ‘Fee based’ vs. ‘fee only’ financial planners: There’s a big difference

October 10, 2022 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: How do you find a fee-based financial planner? I just inherited a lot of money, and trying to figure out our future is stressing me out.

Answer: That’s understandable. Getting sound advice can mean the difference between growing your newfound wealth and wasting it. But finding a good, honest, competent planner requires some work.

Most advisors aren’t fiduciaries, so they aren’t required to put your interests ahead of their own. Instead, they can recommend investments that cost more or perform worse than available alternatives, simply because the recommended investments pay them more.

Such advisors often call themselves “fee based,” hoping you’ll confuse them with “fee only” planners. Fee-only planners are compensated only by the fees you pay; they don’t accept commissions or other compensation that could influence their advice.

The National Assn. of Personal Financial Advisors and the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners are two organizations that represent fee-only planners, many of whom charge a percentage of your investable assets. You can find fee-only planners who work on an hourly basis at Garrett Planning Network and those who charge monthly retainer fees at XY Planning Network.

Interview at least three candidates. Ask them how they are paid and what your “all-in” costs — their fees plus the cost of investments they recommend — are likely to be. Ask about, and verify, their credentials. (You can check a certified financial planner’s status at cfp.net/verify-a-cfp-professional.) Find out about their education and experience, including whether they’ve advised people similar to you.

They should be willing to assert in writing that they will be fiduciaries. Finally, check their backgrounds, including their disciplinary history, at BrokerCheck.finra.org.

Q&A: Health savings account rules

October 10, 2022 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: I established a health savings account when I was self-employed using an HSA-compliant healthcare plan. Now I am employed. My employer does not offer a health plan that was designated as an HSA, but my deductible is $7,000, higher than the minimum for an individual. Can I continue to contribute to my existing HSA?

Answer: Unfortunately, no. To contribute to an HSA, you must be covered by an HSA-compliant high-deductible healthcare plan, and you may not be covered by other health insurance, including Medicare.

HSAs were created as a way to encourage people to choose high-deductible health insurance plans, but many people use them as an additional way to save for retirement. HSAs have a rare triple tax break: contributions are pretax, the account can grow tax deferred and withdrawals are tax free if used to pay qualifying healthcare expenses.

Unlike flexible spending accounts, which are “use it or lose it,” HSAs allow people to roll unused balances over from year to year. Plus, balances can be invested for long-term growth. Many people value these tax advantages so highly that they pay medical expenses out of pocket, leaving their HSA balances to grow for the future.

But HSA-compliant health insurance policies must meet certain criteria, including a minimum deductible of $1,400 for individuals and $2,800 for families for 2022. (The average deductible in 2021 was $2,349 for individuals and $5,217 for families, according to KFF, the healthcare research organization formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation.) The maximum out-of-pocket limit — including deductibles and co-pays, but not premiums — is $7,050 for individuals or $14,100 for families in 2022.

As you can see, you’ve wound up with the worst of both worlds: a very high deductible with no option to save in an HSA. Perhaps your employer is compensating you so handsomely in other areas that you can overlook this deficit in your benefits. If not, it might be time to look for an employer who can offer more.