Ask Liz Weston

Get smart with your money

Liz Weston

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

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air-miles-cardToday’s top story: The worst airports in the U.S. for summer travel. Also in the news: 3 smart money moves to make buying a home easier, creating a money map to make sense of your financial plan, and five signs it’s time to shop for a new credit card.

The 10 Worst Airports in the U.S. for Summer Travel and How You Can Cope
Plan ahead.

Make Buying a Home Easier With 3 Smart Money Moves Now
Save money early and regularly.

Create a Money Map to Make Sense of Your Financial Plan
A big picture view.

5 Signs It’s Time to Shop for a New Credit Card
Loyalty doesn’t always pay.

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: When hybrid long-term care insurance makes sense. Also in the news: How to tell whether your credit card authorized user could become a problem, what pro athletes can teach us about retirement planning, and the 7 habits of highly effective investors.

When Hybrid Long-Term Care Insurance Makes Sense
Planning for the future.

7 Ways to Tell Whether Your Credit Card Authorized User Will Be a Problem
Proceed with caution.

What Pro Athletes Can Teach Us About Retirement Planning
Living below your means can protect your future.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Investors
Using your money wisely.

5 Good Reasons to Tap Your Home Equity

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496065-570x225-2Lenders want you to borrow against your home equity again. The question is, should you?

Rising home values and a sluggish mortgage market mean banks are once more marketing home equity lines of credit. Last year, lenders handed out $156 billion in HELOCs, a 24% rise from a year earlier and a 138% rise from 2010.

HELOCs are typically a cheap source of credit, with current rates averaging less than 5%. (Here’s how to pick the right HELOC lender.) But borrowing against your home equity can be risky. Rates are typically variable, and payments can balloon after the initial interest-only period ends. A recent uptick in second mortgage delinquencies is being driven by an 87% jump in missed payments from loans made in 2005 that just ended their 10-year interest-only period, according to Black Knight Financial Services, which tracks mortgages.

In my latest for NerdWallet, when it makes sense to tap your home equity.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

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how_to_build_an_emergency_fundToday’s top story: How two extra years in college could cost you close to $300,000. Also in the news: How a financial advisor can help with life insurance, tips for paying off student loans if you didn’t finish college, and why 66 million Americans don’t have an emergency fund.

2 Extra Years in College Could Cost You Nearly $300,000
An incentive to graduate on time.

How a Financial Advisor Can Guide Clients’ Life Insurance Decisions
Seeing the bigger picture.

Tips for Paying Off Your Student Loans if You Didn’t Finish College
Strategic repayment could save you money.

66 Million Americans Have No Emergency Savings
A recipe for disaster.

Monday’s need-to-know money news

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18ixgvpiu0s24jpgToday’s top story: How to save on your cellphone bill when moving. Also in the news: how to survive a job loss, why millennials aren’t in a rush to buy a home, and why you shouldn’t wait to tackle your debt.

Moving? One Simple Change Could Save You Money on Your Cell Phone Bill in a New State
Taxes and fees vary from state to state.

How to Survive a Job Loss
Getting through a financially difficult time.

Are Millennials the Renter Generation?
Not rushing to buy a home.

Don’t Wait Until Your Debt Starts Hurting to Begin Tackling It
The sooner the better.

Q&A: Pros and cons of refinancing college loans

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Dear Liz: We took out parent PLUS loans to finance our two sons’ college tuition at private universities. We’ve received solicitations from a private lender offering to refinance. What are the pros and cons of doing so?

Answer: It rarely makes sense to replace federal student loans with private loans because the federal version comes with low rates, numerous repayment options, many consumer protections and the possibility of forgiveness. You lose all that when you refinance with a private loan.

Parent PLUS are a different story, however. Not only do they have higher rates (6.84% currently versus 4.29% for direct loans to undergraduates), but PLUS loans have fewer repayment options and no forgiveness.

If you have good credit and a solid employment history, you could dramatically lower your interest rate by refinancing with a private lender. Variable rates start at some lenders start under 2%, and fixed rates start under 4%. If you can’t pay the balance off within a few years, a fixed rate is probably your best option since rising interest rates could otherwise boost your payments.

A few private lenders even offer the option to have your child take over by refinancing your PLUS loan into his or her name.

You can shop for offers at Credible, a multi-lender online marketplace.