Ask Liz Weston

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Liz Weston

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: It’s now cheaper than ever to borrow money for college. Also in the news: What you need to know about Disney’s reopening, bankrolling your adult kid in a crisis, and 8 ways to save for your child’s college education.

It’s Now Cheaper Than Ever to Borrow Money for College
Feds have dropped interest rates to historic lows.

Disney Is Reopening: What You Need to Know
Safely returning to the happiest place on earth.

Are you bankrolling your adult kids in a crisis?
You are not an emergency plan.

8 Ways to Save for Your Child’s College Education
Start as soon as possible.

Some taxpayers face a desperate wait for refunds

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As a 58-year-old woman on disability, Robin Short of Wallingford, Connecticut, relies on her tax refund to catch up on bills. She filed her return electronically in February, opting for direct deposit so she could get her $773 refund quickly.

She’s still waiting, as are millions of others. In my latest for the Associated Press, how the IRS is slowly resuming operations after pandemic-related lockdowns, but delayed refunds are devastating some people’s finances.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Five credit card benefits you probably have but don’t know about. Also in the news: A bargain hunter’s guide to used car shopping, Millennials share their top financial regrets, and where to find free tax filing options.

Five credit card benefits you probably have but don’t know about
Don’t leave money on the table.

A Bargain Hunter’s Guide to Used Car Shopping
Avoiding the lemons.

‘I wasted so much money …’ Millennials share their top financial regrets to help Gen Z get started
Avocado toast isn’t one of them.

Get All Your Free Tax Filing Options Right Here
The delayed filing deadline is fast approaching.

Monday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: How new grads can handle 3 essential post-college questions. Also in the news: A new episode of the SmartMoney podcast on money goals and bank bonuses, the possibility of another stimulus check, and everything that goes away when coronavirus benefits end in July.

How New Grads Can Handle 3 Essential Post-College Questions
The real world is a bit different these days.

SmartMoney Podcast: Setting Money Goals at Milestone Birthdays, and Bagging Big Bucks with Bank Bonuses
Use your big birthday to set a new goal.

Is Another Stimulus Check Coming?
Maybe.

Here is everything that goes away when coronavirus benefits end in July
Start planning ahead for changes.

Q&A: The IRS is finally staffing up. Here’s how to get your coronavirus stimulus money

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Dear Liz: We do not make enough income to file tax returns, so we used the IRS site to apply for our economic stimulus payment ($1,700 for one adult and one teenage child). We received a response email stating our information was received successfully by the IRS several weeks ago. We included our bank deposit information for a fast direct deposit but the money has not arrived and we hear that the government ran out of money. We are desperate. What can we do or who can we speak with about this delay?

Answer: The government did not run out of money, and at a minimum you should be able to file a tax return next year to get your stimulus payment as a refundable credit. Since you need the money now, though, you should follow up with the IRS.

The IRS has reopened the general taxpayer helpline that was shuttered because of the coronavirus pandemic, but it has also added thousands of phone reps to a special hotline to deal with stimulus payment problems: (800) 919-9835. That’s the number you should call to inquire about your payment.

(Previous columns have dealt with people’s refunds being held up because the IRS didn’t have enough workers to open its mail. Tax processing centers are reopening, but it will take awhile to work through the backlog. You can check the status of a refund through the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on the IRS site or by calling (800) 829-1954.)

Q&A: The ups and downs of reverse mortgages

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Dear Liz: I have been a reverse mortgage specialist for the last 12 years and had some thoughts about the writer who complained that the $40,000 she initially borrowed had grown to a debt of $189,000, or more than her home was worth.

Using a compound interest calculator, it would take about 16.5 years for the debt to grow that large. The borrower would have lived in their home for all that time without making payments toward the debt, although they were still responsible for taxes, insurance and maintaining the property. They can stay in the home for as long as it’s their principal residence. Once they leave the home, the lender will sell the home and receive the difference between the sales price and the loan balance from the government insurance program that everyone with a reverse mortgage pays into. Otherwise, no lender would take out this loan for a potentially long term and risk losing money in the end. Maybe it was a good deal.

Answer: Possibly, but she regretted the decision anyway. She took out a reverse mortgage at a time of financial hardship and now wishes she hadn’t.

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People facing financial crises often develop tunnel vision and grab at solutions without thinking through the future costs of their decisions. (The excellent book “Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much” by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir explains the science of why that happens.)

Advertising for these loans can gloss over the downsides, such as potentially not being able to tap your equity later, when you may need it more. Reverse mortgages can be a good solution for some seniors but certainly not all of them.