Ask Liz Weston

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Liz Weston

Beware of these overhyped financial strategies

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A good rule of thumb when you’re trying to eat healthy is to beware of any food you see advertised. The most beneficial fare — whole grains, fruits, vegetables — tends not to have a marketing budget.

Similarly, investments that are enthusiastically pushed by commission-earning salespeople may not be the best for your financial health. In my latest for the Associated Press, why you’d be smart to investigate lower-cost alternatives and to consult an objective, knowledgeable third party, such as a fee-only financial planner.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Identity theft protection you may not know you already have. Also in the news: How auto insurers use you non-driving habits to raise prices, how younger consumers can get a credit boost from their elders, and how to close a credit card the right way.

Identity Theft Protection You May Not Know You Already Have
Some surprising sources.

How Auto Insurers Use Your Nondriving Habits to Raise Prices
What you need to know about price optimization.

Younger Consumers, Get a Credit Boost From Your Elders
Authorized user status could give you a boost.

How to Close a Credit Card The Right Way
Protecting your credit score.

Q&A: Handling money after marriage can be complicated. Mom and Dad should butt out

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Dear Liz: My son just married. He and his wife are keeping totally separate finances, though he makes much more than she does. She is spending way more than she should on household items and services. Is this the new norm for relationships? What kind of professional do we contact that could help them with merging their finances?

Answer: You don’t contact any kind of professional. Your son and his wife can find help on their own. If your son starts complaining about his wife’s spending again, you might gently suggest that before changing the subject.

In answer to your first question, though, separate accounts aren’t the norm but they’re quite common. A 2018 Bank of America study found 28% of millennial couples kept their finances separate. Many prefer the sense of control and privacy that separate accounts offer.

But of course it’s still important for couples to work out budgets and joint goals together. That can take time, a lot of discussion and the willingness to compromise. It wouldn’t be fair for your son to dictate what they spend just because he makes more, just as it wouldn’t be fair for your daughter-in-law to purchase whatever she wants and assume he’ll chip in.

Again, however: It’s not your business, it’s theirs, and it will be better for all concerned if you keep out of it.

Q&A: IRMAA is not your friend

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Dear Liz: My wife and I retired in 2019 and ran into IRMAA — Medicare’s income-related monthly adjustment amount, which increased our monthly premiums. I thought I’d done such a good job budgeting for retirement but missed this. A lot of couples have their best income years at the end of their career and then get blindsided by the cost of Medicare and the adjustment based on their previous income. I will say that the folks at the local Social Security office were very helpful, and they supplied us with forms for an exception based on our new income.

Answer: IRMAA can boost premiums substantially for singles with yearly income above $87,000 and married couples with incomes above $174,000. The increases for Medicare Part B, which covers doctor’s visits, range from $57.80 to $347 a person per month. The surcharges for Part D, which pays for prescription drugs, start at $12.20 and top out at $76.40 a person per month.

The adjustments are based on your income two years prior (so 2018 income determines 2020 premiums). You can appeal the increase if you’ve experienced a life-changing event. Retirement with a subsequent drop in income can be one such event. So can other work stoppages or reductions, marriage or divorce, the death of a spouse, loss of income-producing property or loss of pension income.

Even without IRMAA, healthcare costs can catch many newly retired people by surprise, especially if they previously had generous employer-subsidized coverage. Medicare doesn’t cover everything; it has deductibles and co-pays in addition to premiums, and excludes most vision, hearing and dental expenses.

How much you pay out of pocket depends on your health, where you live and what supplemental coverage you buy. A study by Vanguard and Mercer Health and Benefits estimated that a typical 65-year-old woman in 2018 could expect to pay $5,200, but her costs could range from $3,000 to $26,200. (The researchers say a 65-year-old man’s costs are typically about 3% lower.)

Q&A: Tax tips for hybrid owners

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Dear Liz: Not a question, but a tip for your readers. I bought a plug-in hybrid in 2018. I couldn’t take advantage of the $7,500 federal tax credit because my income was too low to pay much in federal taxes. So I converted $30,000 of my IRA to a Roth IRA, which added that money to my income for 2018, allowing me to take full advantage of the credit. Hey, I even got some money back. I can’t touch that Roth account for five years, or else the income it generates won’t be tax-free, but when the time comes for my mandatory withdrawals, I’ll tap into the remainder of my regular IRA. This might be of help to some of your readers.

Answer: Normally conversions from a regular IRA to a Roth trigger a hefty tax bill, but your credit allowed you to convert tax-free. Leasing is another option to consider with hybrids and other cars that offer a federal tax credit. The value of the credit typically is built into the deal, so you benefit even if you don’t have a federal tax bill to offset.

Friday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Haven’t filed a tax return lately? You can still get a refund. Also in the news: The ultimate travel tip for couples, a new tax form that may help simplify filing for seniors, and what Trump’s budget plan would mean for you student loan debt.

Haven’t Filed a Tax Return Lately? You Can Still Get a Refund
You’re owed what you’re owed.

Ask a Points Nerd: Our Ultimate Travel Tip for Couples
Companion tickets make it easier.

This New Tax Form May Help Simplify Filing for Seniors
The 1040-SR.

What Trump’s Budget Plan Would Mean for Your Student Loan Debt
Looking at the key cuts.