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This week’s money news

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This week’s top story: Smart Money podcast on overcoming financial fears, and appliance repair tips. In other news: What new lending regulations mean for small-business owners, can office-to-housing conversions dent the housing crisis, and 5 steps to prepare for student loan repayment.

Smart Money Podcast: Overcoming Financial Fears, and Appliance Repair Tips
Hosts Sean Pyles and Liz Weston delve into the latest data from Consumer Reports and share handy tips that could end up saving you money and reducing electronic waste.

What New Lending Regulations Mean for Small-Business Owners
Small-business owners should expect to see more nonbank small-business lenders and should remain cautious of predatory lenders by paying attention to things like APR.

Can Office-to-Housing Conversions Dent the Housing Crisis?
Doing office-to-housing conversions at scale presents a costly challenge.

5 Steps to Prepare for Student Loan Repayment
The federal student loan payment pause is coming to an end. Here’s how to get ready to make payments again.

How to ace late summer and fall sales

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To get the most out of summer sales, shoppers have to think ahead — sometimes way ahead.

That’s because end-of-summer sales are the ideal time to stock up on hot weather items that you’ll use a year from now. “Flip-flops, bathing suits, beach towels, grills, Adirondack chairs — at the end of the season, that’s when you’ll get the best prices of the year,” says Leah Ingram, who writes about saving money on her Real Sophisticated Consumer blog at LeahIngram.com.

“These sales help stores make room for the next seasonal holiday, and most importantly, they help keep consumers engaged with the brand or retailer during off-peak times,” says Katie Hansen, a senior retail and e-commerce analyst at Mintel, a market intelligence agency.

In Kimberly Palmer’s latest for the Washington Post, learn how to ace late summer and fall sales.

This week’s money news

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This week’s top story: Smart Money podcast on seasonal housing market trends and travel credit card tips. In other news: How to survive a strike, act fast to preserve credit when a credit card issuer decides to close an account, and home hospital care is on the rise.

Smart Money Podcast: Seasonal Housing Market Trends, Travel Credit Card Tips
Seasonal housing market trends can have a big impact on homebuying (or selling!), which is why NerdWallet data writer Liz Renter joins today’s episode to discuss the latest patterns.

How to Survive a Strike
The more savings you can set aside in the event of a strike, the better you’ll feel about supporting the cause when the time comes.

Issuer Closing Your Credit Card? Act Fast to Preserve Credit
When a credit card issuer decides to close an account, there may be a narrow window of time to safeguard credit.

Home Hospital Care Is on the Rise — Is It Right for You?
The pandemic gave a boost to the concept of sending patients home for certain types of care. Here’s what to know.

This week’s money news

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This week’s top story: Smart Money podcast on student loan repayments and midyear money review. In other news: What disability lawyers to and how much they cost, women’s soccer games are way cheaper than men’s, and  how can U.S. airport terminals be better.

Smart Money Podcast: Student Loan Repayments and Midyear Money Review
Learn how to conduct a midyear financial check-in with help from hosts Sean Pyles and Liz Weston, who offer practical advice for reassessing your financial situation and getting back on track if you’ve fallen behind.

Disability Lawyers: What They Do and How Much They Cost
A disability lawyer assists you with your SSDI application and appeal process. Their fees are capped by federal law.

Women’s Soccer Games Are Way Cheaper Than Men’s, So Cheer Them On
The National Women’s Soccer League is home to some of the best players on the planet.

Ask a Travel Nerd: How Can U.S. Airport Terminals Be Better?
Airport terminals across the country need improvements, starting with better infrastructure and quiet airport programs.

When to repair or replace your appliances

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When our 17-year-old refrigerator started wheezing, I fully expected we’d need a new one. I was shocked — and frankly a little disappointed — when a repair technician fixed it for less than $200. I had to postpone my dream of a shiny French-door replacement, but our no-frills Frigidaire is still working fine eight years later.

Our experience illustrates that the decision about whether to repair or replace major appliances can be more complex than general guidelines may imply. Getting more useful years out of your existing appliances can save money and keep potentially dangerous components out of landfills, where they may harm the environment. But on the other hand, a replacement could be much more energy efficient, repairs sometimes can be expensive and prices for new appliances have been falling recently.

All this makes the choice of repairing versus replacing a tricky one, says Dan Wroclawski, home and appliances writer for Consumer Reports, a nonprofit member organization that tests consumer products. In my latest for the Washington Post, learn when to repair or replace your appliances.

How to stay safe from financial scams

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One of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to protecting yourself from financial scams is thinking you’re too smart to be duped by one.

“We’re all vulnerable — we can all fall for a scam given the right set of circumstances,” says Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit organization that provides advice and assistance related to identity theft. Keeping yourself safe starts with accepting that fact, she adds.

“You look at the profiles of victims who filed complaints and it runs the gamut from highly educated, high-income people all the way down to the most vulnerable people in our population,” says John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud at the National Consumers League, a nonprofit advocacy group that speaks out about consumer concerns.

While there isn’t a “foolproof solution to stay safe from all scams,” as Breyault puts it, there are strategies you can employ to reduce your risk. In Kimberly Palmer’s latest for the Washington Post, learn how to stay safe from financial scams.