Ask Liz Weston

Get smart with your money

Liz Weston

Would a bank payday loan be any safer?

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A “safer” payday loan sounds like an oxymoron. Critics have branded these notoriously high-cost loans as debt traps that cause borrowers to go ever deeper in the hole.

Thanks to a recent regulatory change, it now may be possible for banks to offer small, short-term loans that could be a lot less dangerous for borrowers. Whether banks will actually do so remains to be seen.

The right moves could save low- and moderate-income Americans billions of dollars a year. The wrong moves could create yet another sinkhole for those who are already struggling. In my latest for the Associated Press, how to avoid falling into the payday loan trap.

Q&A: How to avoid outliving your retirement savings

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Dear Liz: The wife and I are both 65. We both work, with a combined income of $125,000, of which we spend almost all. We have $550,000 in IRAs and $1 million in other investments, plus home equity of about $500,000. We’ll get $3,800 from Social Security if we start next year but plan to work until age 67. Should we wait until then to claim?

Answer: Both of you needn’t wait, but one of you should — the one who has the larger benefit.

As a married couple, you can get two checks — either two retirement benefits, or a retirement benefit and a spousal benefit that can equal up to half the primary retirement benefit. When one of you dies, the survivor will receive only one benefit, which will be the larger of the two checks you received as a couple.

It makes sense to maximize that benefit by waiting as long as possible to claim so that it can grow. After your full retirement age, which is currently 66, unclaimed retirement benefits grow by 8% each year you wait, until maxing out at age 70.

You have substantial investments that should sustain a comfortable retirement, but plenty of things could go wrong.

The fact you’re spending all your current income is worrisome. If you don’t ratchet back your consumption a bit at retirement, you may draw down your investments at a rate that isn’t sustainable. (Depending on your investment mix, an initial withdrawal rate of 3% or 4% usually is considered “safe,” or the most you should take to minimize the odds of running out of money.)

Even if you do rein in your regular spending, bad markets or unexpected expenses could cause you to exhaust your savings faster than you expect. The longer you live, the greater the odds you’ll run short of money. Maximizing one of your Social Security benefits can be a smart way to ensure you, or your survivor, have more income when you may need it most.

Before you retire, you should consult a fee-only financial planner about the best ways to tap your retirement accounts and claim Social Security.

Q&A: Authentication apps can help thwart hackers

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Dear Liz: I’ve heard that authentication apps are a better way to go than two-factor authentication that texts codes to your cell phone. Can you explain more?

Answer: Two-factor authentication adds an additional layer of security to financial, email, social media, cloud storage and other accounts. The first factor is something you know, which is a typically a password, and the second is something you have, such as a code that’s texted to you or generated by a device or authentication app.

The second factor is important, since passwords can be guessed or stolen in database breaches. Texted codes can be intercepted by hackers, so security experts recommend using an authenticator. Three popular apps are Google Authenticator, LastPass Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator.

To use an authenticator, you must first enable two-factor authentication on the account you want to protect. Unfortunately, not every account provider offers two-factor authentication, although they should. You can find whether yours does at twofactorauth.org.

If the account provider supports authentication, you’ll typically be asked to take a snapshot of a QR code using the authenticator app to establish a connection between your account and the app. When you later log in to those sites, you’ll be asked to type in the code randomly generated by the app.

Any security approach can be thwarted, but the idea behind two-factor authentication is making your accounts hard enough to crack that most hackers will move on to an easier target.

Q&A: Here’s how to find that annual free credit report

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Dear Liz: Please tell me the website for the free credit check. At a department store checkout counter, a stranger’s name came up connected to my cellphone number. I think I should check my credit reports, but I don’t want to pay for what I understand I can get free.

Answer: It’s entirely possible a clerk simply made a mistake in entering another customer’s phone number. But you should be checking your credit reports regularly anyway, and this is as good an excuse to do so as any. The federally mandated free site can be found at www.annualcreditreport.com. Searching for “free credit reports” can turn up a number of other sites, so make sure you use the correct one.

Friday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: How ‘free’ credit cards can cost you. Also in the news: Plan, give and spend smart to avoid holiday debt, answers to 5 trick questions from car dealers, and 7 tips on becoming a ‘financial’ caregiver.

How ‘Free’ Credit Cards Can Cost You
Reading the fine print.

Plan, Give and Spend Smart to Avoid Holiday Debt
Giving wisely.

Answers to 5 Trick Questions From Car Dealers
Beat them at their own game.

Seven tips on becoming a ‘financial’ caregiver
Managing multiple households.

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: 6 reasons there aren’t enough homes for sale. Also in the news: 3 day trading tax tricks, a major tax hike could be waiting for grad students, and giving up your rights when getting a credit card.

6 Reasons There Aren’t Enough Homes for Sale
It’s getting tougher to find a house.

3 Day-Trading Tax Tricks
You could qualify for tax breaks.

Grad Students, Expect a Major Tax Hike If House Tax Plan Passes
College is about to get even more expensive.

Does your credit card force you to give up your rights?
All about arbitration.