Ask Liz Weston

Get smart with your money

Liz Weston

Q&A: Don’t close that credit card

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Dear Liz: I’m debt free with a comfortable income and excellent credit. I just got a new cash-back credit card. I have three other credit cards, including one affiliated with a retail chain that I no longer use. Should I close the retail chain card so I only have three cards? Should I have fewer?

Answer: More is often better when it comes to your credit scores. The scoring formulas may temporarily drop a few points when you apply for a new card, but having at least four active credit accounts can help you achieve and keep high scores.

The formulas won’t punish you for having too many accounts or too much available credit. You could get dinged, though, if you use too much of that credit at one time. To avoid that, try to keep your balance on each card below 10% of its available limit.

How to get comfortable with taking smart financial risks

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Making money, whether by putting cash into the stock market, buying a home or jumping to a better-paying job, requires some degree of risk. While embracing any of those moves might feel as scary as skydiving off a cliff, there are times when a little risk makes financial sense.

“In certain scenarios, not taking enough risk is actually a bigger risk,” says Liz Davidson, CEO and founder of Financial Finesse, which provides workplace financial wellness programs as an employer benefit.

Davidson and other financial experts also caution against being overly risky with your finances. How to find the right level of financial risk for you is highly personal; there’s no formula that can tell you whether or not to buy that house or take that new job. But there are ways to get more comfortable with risk when you know that taking the less comfortable path is the right decision for you. In Kimberly Palmer’s latest for the Washington Post, learn how to get comfortable with taking smart financial risks.

This week’s money news

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This week’s top story: Steps to do before the redesigned 2024 FAFSA launches in December. In other news: 3 ways to stretch your dollar on a European vacation in 2023, the best time to book holiday travel is very soon, and housing shortage can’t be fixed with polite nudges, pocket change.

Do This Before the Redesigned 2024 FAFSA Launches in December
Here are steps you can take now to make sure you’re ready to go when the new FAFSA is released in December.

3 Ways to Stretch Your Dollar on a European Vacation in 2023
Avoid tourist hotspots and travel offseason to save. You could even get some cash back on delayed flights.

The Best Time to Book Holiday Travel Is Very Soon
Book this year’s Thanksgiving flights ASAP, and consider booking end-of-the-year fares by mid-October for the best prices.

Housing Shortage Can’t Be Fixed With Polite Nudges, Pocket Change
The federal government is skirting the housing shortage timidly instead of tackling it boldly.

Q&A: Establishing credit without debt

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Dear Liz: My wife and I are retired. We have always paid our credit card balances in full each month and have zero debt. A banker recently advised us to establish credit and make timely monthly payments in order to maintain a high credit rating in case we need to borrow in the future. I feel uncomfortable taking money from our investment portfolio to service debt, but I also wish to maintain our high credit rating.

Answer: You don’t need to take on debt or carry credit card balances to have good credit scores. Using a few credit cards lightly but regularly is enough.

Taking out an installment loan can help boost your scores if you’re trying to repair troubled credit. You also may need an installment loan on your credit reports if you want the highest scores possible. But the highest possible scores only give you bragging rights, not better rates and terms on borrowing.

If you’re concerned about maintaining your credit, consider monitoring at least one of your scores. Your bank or one of your credit card issuers may provide a free score, or you can sign up on one of the many sites that offer them. That will give you a better idea of how lenders view you as a credit risk and can help you see which behaviors help and hurt your scores.

Q&A: Social Security spousal benefits

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Dear Liz: I qualified for Social Security and receive a benefit. My wife did not work long enough to get a benefit, yet she receives a small amount each month. What is this from? What happens to it at her death?

Answer: Her benefit is probably a spousal benefit, which is based on your work record. Spousal benefits can be up to 50% of what you would have received at full retirement age. If she started benefits before her own full retirement age, the amount would be reduced to reflect that early start. Her benefit will go away when one of you dies, and the survivor will receive an amount equal to your benefit.

Q&A: When a HELOC rate is too good to be true

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Dear Liz: My current home mortgage rate is 5%. I owe about $340,000 on the house and have about $300,000 in equity. My credit union is offering a home equity line of credit with a rate of 3%. Would it be a good idea to take out a HELOC at that rate and use those funds to pay down or pay off my mortgage?

Answer: Prevailing HELOC rates are closer to 9%, so what you saw is likely a teaser rate that would eventually expire. After that, you’d pay the regular variable rate, which would rise and fall with prevailing interest rates up to a predetermined cap, which is usually 18%.

So no, it’s not a good idea to give up your current relatively low rate. HELOCs and other variable-rate loans are a better fit for short-term borrowing that you can pay off relatively quickly.