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Liz Weston

Find out and fix what big data says about you

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I thought I knew all about the information that consumer reporting agencies were collecting on me. Then I discovered The Work Number — a database that reports every paycheck I’ve received from my company, with net and gross amounts, going back to my hire date six years ago.

Another consumer reporting agency shows the results of a 2016 echocardiogram. (It was normal.) Yet another tracks insurance claims on my home and car. If I’d made too many returns at retail stores or bounced a check at a casino, that could show up in a database as well.

“Any data point that someone can track, there’s going to be a bureau or someone gathering information and selling that information,” says Matthew Loker, a consumer protection attorney in Arroyo Grande, California.

In my latest for the Associated Press, how to find and correct what big data says about you.

Monday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: 8 tactics to break the credit card debt cycle. Also in the news: A new episode of the Smart Money podcast on wedding guest expenses and vetting your mortgage lender, the bar that lets you buy drinks with wands, and how to see through inflation prices.

8 Tactics to Break the Credit Card Debt Cycle
If you’re ready to give credit cards a second chance, a few tactics may lay the groundwork for a successful relationship.

Smart Money Podcast: Save at Weddings, and Vet Mortgage Lenders
Save as a wedding guest. Then learn the cons of going with a mortgage lender recommended by your real estate agent.

This Bar Lets You Buy Drinks With Wands
Inventive payment technology integrations are part of The Cauldron Co.’s immersive fantasy-themed customer experience.

How to See Through Inflation Prices
Your perception of ‘good value’ may no longer be realistic.

Q&A: Leaving IRAs to charity

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Dear Liz: In responding to the reader who asked how to plan around the tax consequences of leaving a traditional IRA to a family member, I wish you had mentioned the tax benefit of naming a charity as the beneficiary of a traditional IRA. There is no tax on the distribution of a traditional IRA to a charity. The consequence is that the income is never taxed (on the front end or back end) and a charity benefits from the IRA owner’s generosity.

Answer: The reader was primarily concerned with bequeathing assets to children and grandchildren after the Secure Act of 2019 did away with “stretch IRAs” for most non-spouse beneficiaries. One way to do that while also benefiting a charity is the charitable remainder trust that was mentioned in the column. These trusts require some expense to set up and aren’t a good option if the IRA owner isn’t charitably minded.

If someone’s primary goal is to benefit the charity, however, then qualified charitable distributions or outright bequests are certainly an option. Qualified charitable distributions, which can begin at age 70½, allow someone to donate required minimum distribution amounts directly to a charity; the distribution isn’t counted as taxable income to the donor.

Q&A: Retirement account distribution rules

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Dear Liz: My husband is 71 and retired. We have started withdrawing from one of his retirement funds but I am unsure if there is a minimum amount that needs to be withdrawn per year. We have a few retirement funds in different places. Do we have to withdraw from each or just a minimum per year no matter where?

Answer: Required minimum distributions from most retirement accounts typically must begin when someone turns 72. The withdrawals must be made by Dec. 31 each year, but your first one can be delayed until April 1. If your husband turns 72 next year, for example, then the first withdrawal wouldn’t be due until April 1, 2024. Your husband would need to take a second distribution by Dec. 31, 2024.

Required minimum distributions are calculated using the tables in IRS Publication 590-B, Distributions From Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs). IRA owners have to calculate the minimum withdrawal separately for each IRA they own, but they’re allowed to draw the total amount from one or more of the IRAs. People who have 403(b) accounts are also allowed to take the total amount from one or more 403(b) contracts after calculating the amount separately for each one.

The rules are different for other types of retirement plans. People who have 401(k) and 457(b) plans must calculate and take minimum withdrawals separately from each of those plan accounts. No distributions are required for Roth IRAs during the owner’s lifetime.

Your brokerage typically can help you calculate required minimum distributions, or you can talk to a tax pro. A tax pro or fee-only financial planner also could help you decide if it makes sense to consolidate your accounts. At your stage of life, you probably could benefit from simplifying your finances and having fewer accounts to monitor.

Q&A: When a full-service brokerage doesn’t want your business anymore

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Dear Liz: Can a brokerage firm drop a 26-year customer because their account falls below $200,000? I have been told that they don’t normally have accounts under that limit. Of course, my balance is lower because of the market slide. This policy doesn’t seem very ethical. Ten years ago, I had another account with them and it fell below $100,000 and nothing was said about that.

Answer: Your full-service brokerage may have just done you a favor. After charging you high fees for years, it has set you loose to find an alternative that will cost you much less.

Discount brokerages such as Vanguard, Fidelity, Charles Schwab and T. Rowe Price will welcome your business. You also could explore robo-advisory options that manage your money for a fraction of what you’re paying now.

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Small home fixes can have a big impact on safety. Also in the news: A new episode of the SmartMoney podcast on student loan debt, why you need to inspect the used car you bought sight unseen, and check whether your Toyota or Lexus is part of a massive recall.

Small Home Fixes Can Have a Big Impact on Safety
If it ain’t broke, maybe you should fix it anyway.

Smart Money Podcast: How We Got to $1.75 Trillion in Student Loan Debt
Learn the history behind the rising cost of college and how 43 million Americans landed with student loan debt.

Inspect That Used Car You Bought Sight Unseen

Check Whether Your Toyota or Lexus Is Part of This Massive Recall
More than 500,000 vehicles are thought to have a software error.