Ask Liz Weston

Get smart with your money

Liz Weston

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

By

Today’s top story: Why family loyalty shouldn’t apply to your credit cards. Also in the news: What you should do with your travel credit card, what you need to know about roadside assistance, and what the near zero interest rates mean for you.

Why Family Loyalty Shouldn’t Apply to Your Credit Cards
You could be missing out on valuable rewards.

Ask a Points Nerd: What Should I Do With My Travel Credit Card Right Now?
A little retention attention.

Roadside Assistance: Where to Get It, What to Ask
We’ll be back on the roads eventually.

Fed holds rates near zero — here’s what that means for you
Historically low rates continue.

How to ask your bank or lender for help

By

Many banks, credit card issuers and other lenders have promised to help those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. They’re offering to defer or reduce payments and waive interest charges and rebate fees for those who have lost jobs, had their hours reduced or otherwise lost income to the COVID-19 crisis.

The help usually isn’t automatic, however. You have to ask for it — and ask the right way.

In my latest for the Associated Press, the important questions to ask your bank or lender.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

By

Today’s top story: Can I buy or sell a house during the Coronavirus pandemic? Also in the news: How to manage your credit score during a crisis, Coronavirus cancellation and change policies for credit card travel portals, and how to get all your credit card payments deferred in one call.

Can I Buy or Sell a House During the Coronavirus Pandemic?
New regulations you’ll contend with.

How to Manage Your Credit Score During a Crisis
Looking at alternatives.

Coronavirus Cancellation and Change Policies for Credit Card Travel Portals
Everything you need to know.

Get All Your Credit Card Payments Deferred With One Call
A credit counselor can help you.

Monday’s need-to-know money news

By

Today’s top story: Should you use your emergency fund during the COVID-19 outbreak? Also in the news: A new episode of the SmartMoney podcast on the Coronavirus relief checks, why you should join a money community for financial support, and 13 tips to help protect your online financial information.

Should You Use Your Emergency Fund During the COVID-19 Outbreak?
Don’t be afraid to use it when you actually need it.

SmartMoney Podcast: ‘Where’s My Coronavirus Relief Check?’
Finding your $1200.

Why you should join a money community for financial support
Strength in numbers.

13 Tips To Help Protect Your Online Financial Information
Cybercrime never rests.

Q&A: Taxes when inheriting a home

By

Dear Liz: My sister recently passed, and I acquired her home, which I’m selling (it’s now in escrow). I was looking at state tax forms for real estate transactions, and there is nowhere to check for a person who was given a home through death. Does this mean it is taxable? I was told since it was an inheritance that it was not taxable.

Answer: Technically, you weren’t given a home. You inherited it, and you’re correct that inheritances are typically not taxable. (Only six states impose inheritance taxes, and your state, California, is not one of them.) When you inherited the home, the property received what’s known as a step-up in tax basis, so that the appreciation that occurred during your sister’s lifetime is not taxed. You would owe tax only on any appreciation that occurred since you owned the property. A tax pro can help you figure out what you might owe.

Q&A: Withdrawing after-tax retirement funds

By

Dear Liz: I have been contributing to retirement accounts for many years, starting back in the early 1980s. Back then, there were no deductions for contributions. I made about $50,000 of after-tax contributions, meaning I’ve already paid taxes on that money. Later I switched to before-tax contributions. Now that I am retired and approaching 65, in my feeble mind, I believe I should be able to withdraw that $50,000 without having to pay any taxes on it. However, things that I’ve read indicate that it may not be that easy. Can you help with this question, or at least point me in the right direction?

Answer: You will escape taxes on a portion of any withdrawal you make from a retirement plan that has after-tax money in it, said Mark Luscombe, principal analyst at Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting. However, only Roth IRAs allow you to make totally tax-free withdrawals of your contributions at any time.

With a Roth IRA, any withdrawals are considered first to be a return of contributions. For example, if you contributed $50,000 to an account that’s now worth $200,000, the first $50,000 you withdraw would be tax- and penalty-free, regardless of your age, Luscombe said. If you were under 59½, additional withdrawals could be subject to taxes and penalties.

With regular IRAs and 401(k)s, the tax treatment is different. Withdrawals are considered to be a proportionate return of your after-tax money, Luscombe said. If you contributed $50,000 after tax and then withdrew the same amount from an account now worth $200,000, only one quarter of the money would escape tax.