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Get smart with your money

Liz Weston

Friday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: How driving could affect your credit. Also in the news: The five C’s of credit, what you shouldn’t do this Christmas, and what we can learn about personal finance from three holiday classics.

How Does Driving Affect Your Credit?
Unpaid tickets could wreck your credit score.

The 4 Judgments Every Lender Makes Based on Your Credit
Introducing the five C’s of credit.

Essential Personal Finance Lessons From Three Holiday Classics
Kevin McAllister, coupon king.

Ten financial don’ts this Christmas
Advice from the experts on what you shouldn’t do this Christmas.

Everything I’ve Learned About Personal Finance in 10 Sentences
Short and sweet advice.

Great money books to get or give

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Christmas shopping woman holding giftsDonna Freedman was kind enough to include a couple of my books in her recent post, “The gift of personal finance,” which made me realize that there was an unusually good crop of money tomes that appeared this year.

I’m delighted to recommend the following for anyone who’s interested in making the most of his or her money:

“The $1,000 Challenge: How One Family Slashed Its Budget Without Moving Under a Bridge or Living on Government Cheese,” by Brian J. O’Connor. How often do you laugh out loud when reading a personal finance book? Brian is flat-out hilarious, and his ultimately-successful efforts to trim his family’s spending are both entertaining and educational.
“Confessions of a Credit Junkie: Everything You Need to Know to Avoid the Mistakes I Made” by Beverly Harzog. I wrote the forward to this book because its author’s message is so important: that you can bounce back from a credit disaster without forsaking plastic for the rest of your life.
“The Smart Woman’s Guide to Planning for Retirement: How to Save Your Future Today” by Mary Hunt. Mary is best known for her Debt-Proof Living website and her books about saving money (which always teach me a thing or two). She brings her trademark approachable style to the often scary and sometimes complex world of retirement savings. She offers wisdom, practical ideas and hope to those who may be struggling with how to make their retirement dreams come true.
I’ll have more recommendations in the coming days. Stay tuned!

Should you bail on your 529 plan?

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Education savingsLong-time readers know I’m a big fan of using state-run 529 college plans to save for higher education expenses. (Remember the mantra: if you can save for college, you should!) Money in these plans grows tax-free when used for qualified college costs and doesn’t have much impact on financial aid (which is going to be mostly loans, anyway).

But the plans aren’t created equal–in fact, they’re so diverse it’s kind of daunting to track and compare them. Investment research firm Morningstar does just that, though, and every year creates a list of the best (and worst) plans. That list gives us 529 investors a chance to compare our plans against a gold standard and consider whether we need a change.

I’ve changed plans once, from California’s then-middling plan to Nevada’s top-rated one, and was surprised by how easy it was. (We still have some money in California’s plan, which is now higher in Morningstar’s ratings.) Some people are tied to their state’s plan by tax breaks or other incentives, but many aren’t. If you’re not happy with your plan, it’s time to consider a change.

You can read more about it in my Reuters column this week, “Is it time to switch 529 college savings plans?“

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Mythbusting your FICO score. Also in the news: Steps retiring entrepreneurs should take, tax moves Boomers should make right away, and how retailers trick you into spending money.

5 Myths About Late Payments & Your FICO Scores
Mythbusting, FICO style.

10 Steps for Retiring Entrepreneurs
Using your company as a cash cow for retirement.

Tax Moves Boomers Should Make Now
Especially those on fixed incomes.

10 Retail Tricks That Make You Spend More
Reminder: Retailers are not your friend.

Ginormous Hack Targets 2 Million Accounts Spread 93,000 Websites Worldwide
Keep an eye on your email and social media accounts.

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Should real estate be a part of your retirement plan? Also in the news: How to avoid resetting the mortgage clock, finding the right financial advisor, and how to manage erratic prescription drug costs. Offering Advice

How Real Estate Fits Into Your Retirement
The risks and rewards of including real estate in your retirement plan.

How to Refinance Without Resetting the Mortgage Clock
Don’t turn the clock back 30 years.

5 Questions to Ask a Potential Financial Advisor
Making sure you find the right person to serve your financial interests.

The Zig-Zag Pricing of Prescription Drugs
What to do with erratic prescription costs.

Are credit cards more expensive now?
How did the CARD Act affect what’s in your wallet?

Failed business loan strains couples’ finances

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Dear Liz: We took a home equity loan against our house to open a business in 2006. We also ran up credit card debt for the business. The business went under, and we’re struggling to pay off the loan, which is $150,000 (a $1,150 payment every month), and the credit card debt, which we got down to about $20,000 from $37,000. Is there any way to get relief from the loan since it was a legitimate business (a franchise we bought from another franchisee)? We don’t know what to do and have been taking money out of our savings to pay the debt.

Answer: Your home equity lender doesn’t care whether you spent the money on a “legitimate business” or an around-the-world cruise. The lender expects to get paid, and chances are it will, since you secured the loan with your house. Failing to pay a home equity loan can trigger a foreclosure.

If you have equity in your home, you may be able to do a cash-out refinance of your current mortgage to pay off the loan. You’d wind up with a bigger primary mortgage, but a longer payback period and a lower interest rate should reduce your total debt payments. Another option is to sell your home to pay off the debt so you can start over.

What you shouldn’t do is dip into your savings without a real strategy for resolving this debt. A session with a fee-only financial planner could help you understand your options. The planner also may suggest a consultation with a bankruptcy attorney.