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Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

April 22, 2020 By Liz Weston

Today’s top story: What to do if you can’t pay for insurance due to Coronavirus. Also in the news: 3 effective ways to get airlines and hotels to bend their rules, a new episode of the SmartMoney podcast on spring cleaning your finances, and what the CARES Act means for public service student loan forgiveness.

What to Do if You Can’t Pay for Insurance Due to Coronavirus
Get in touch with your carrier immediately.

3 Effective Ways to Get Airlines and Hotels to Bend Their Rules
Twitter vs. phone vs. email.

SmartMoney Podcast: ‘How Should I Spring-Clean My Finances?’
Three steps to tidy things up.

What the CARES Act Means for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness
Document everything.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: airlines, CARES Act, Coronavirus, hotels, Insurance, public service student loan forgiveness, SmartMoney podcast, spring cleaning, tips, travel changes

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

April 21, 2020 By Liz Weston

Today’s top story: What to know before accepting COVID-19 credit card relief. Also in the news: You can now get free weekly credit reports, how to get money to family and friends in a crisis, and what your small business should do with its Paycheck Protection Program loan.

What to Know Before Accepting COVID-19 Credit Card Relief
Beware the fine print.

You Can Now Get Free Weekly Credit Reports — Here’s How to Use Them
Keeping a close eye on your credit.

How to Get Money to Family and Friends in a Crisis
Watch out for fees.

Your small business got a Paycheck Protection Program loan. Now what?
The best ways to strategize.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: Coronavirus, COVID-19 credit card relief, Credit Cards, Credit Reports, lending money, paycheck protection program loan, small business

Is your financial adviser really helping you?

April 21, 2020 By Liz Weston

Stock market crashes don’t just test investors’ mettle. Abrupt downturns also can reveal what kind of financial adviser you have.

Some people will discover, to their horror, that they’ve been dealing with outright crooks. Ponzi schemes are among the cons that fall apart when markets do, as investors try to pull their money out and discover it’s gone.

In my latest for the Associated Press, how to determine if your financial adviser is meeting your expectations.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: financial advisers, robo-advisers

Monday’s need-to-know money news

April 20, 2020 By Liz Weston

Today’s top story: Cancel your travel credit card due to Coronavirus? Ask for a retention offer first. Also in the news: What to do when a family member or friend needs money, and before opening a new credit line, check for this restriction.

Cancel Your Travel Credit Card Due to Coronavirus? Ask for a Retention Offer First
Banks don’t want to lose your business.

A Friend or Family Member Needs Money. What Do You Do?
Things to consider before writing that check.

Should College Savers Opt for Student Loans This Fall?
Interest rates have plummeted.

Before Opening a New Credit Line, Check for This Restriction
One word: Iowa.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: Coronavirus, Credit Cards, credit lines, family and money, friends and money, Student Loans, travel cards

Q&A: Where’s my stimulus check?

April 20, 2020 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: My wife and I are retired and don’t have enough income to file tax returns. How can we get our stimulus checks?

Answer: If you get Social Security checks, your stimulus checks will be sent to you automatically, either via direct deposit if that’s how you get your benefits or paper check.

If you don’t collect Social Security yet and didn’t file a tax return for 2018 or 2019 because your income was below the limit to require filing, the IRS.gov website has more information.

The IRS has started sending out stimulus checks via direct deposit for people who filed 2018 or 2019 returns and provided their bank information. Those who filed returns but did not provide their bank information can follow an IRS “Get My Payment” link for assistance.

Filed Under: Coronavirus, Q&A Tagged With: Coronavirus, IRS, q&a, stimulus check

Q&A: Here’s why taking money from retirement accounts to pay bills is dumb

April 20, 2020 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: I do not qualify for a coronavirus hardship withdrawal, but I have debt on several credit cards with interest rates above 23%. In 2019, I paid nearly $2,500 in interest charges. I would like to remove $10,000 from my IRA and use it to pay off the debt. I would then put the money that would normally go toward the credit card debt ($500 a month) to pay back the IRA. Would this repayment mitigate some of my tax charges from the withdrawal, and how long do I have to replace the funds, if any?

Answer: Coronavirus hardship withdrawals are available to a large group of people, including those who have lost their jobs or suffered other financial setbacks because of the pandemic, as well as people actually diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Coronavirus hardship withdrawals allow people to take out up to $100,000 from individual retirement accounts or 401(k)s without paying early withdrawal penalties or facing mandatory withholding. Income taxes must be paid on the withdrawal, but that bill can be spread over three years.

People who take such withdrawals would have the option of putting the money back within three years. If they can repay the money, they could amend their previous tax returns to get a refund of the taxes they paid on them.

If you don’t qualify for a coronavirus hardship withdrawal, then the rules on taking money from your IRA haven’t changed. You cannot take a loan from an IRA, and any money you withdrew would have to be returned to a qualifying retirement account within 60 days or it’s considered a withdrawal.

You would have to pay income taxes on the withdrawal, plus the 10% federal penalty if you’re under 59½. Most states also tax and penalize such withdrawals.

Even if you could qualify for a coronavirus hardship withdrawal, though, it would be a bad idea to raid your retirement account to pay credit card bills.

Not only is the tax cost high, but you’re also losing the future tax-deferred returns that money could have earned. A $10,000 withdrawal now could mean $100,000 less in retirement funds 30 years from now.

Also, you shouldn’t use an asset that would be protected from creditors to pay debts that could otherwise be erased in case you have to file for bankruptcy.

Too many people drain their 401(k)s and IRAs trying to pay their bills, only to find out too late that their retirement accounts are protected in bankruptcy. Meanwhile, the bills — including credit card balances, medical bills and most other unsecured debts — could have been wiped out.

If you can make your credit card payments but want to reduce your interest costs, you could consider a personal loan to consolidate your debt if your credit is good. If your credit is not good or you are struggling financially, you could contact a credit counselor about a debt management plan that would allow you to pay off your cards over time at lower rates.

You can get referrals from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

Another option for people struggling to pay off their credit card debt is to ask the issuers about hardship programs. Many are willing to offer forbearance, which allows cardholders to skip payments, or to temporarily reduce required payments.

If you’re struggling, though, you also should make an appointment with a bankruptcy attorney about your options. You can get referrals from the National Assn. of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.

Filed Under: Q&A, Retirement, Saving Money Tagged With: bills, q&a, retirement savings

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