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This week’s money news

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This week’s top story: Smart Money podcast on neurodiverse money, and financial infidelity. In other news: Health care sharing mimics Medigap, but isn’t insurance, what to know to take Social Security early, and 12 words sum up a successful plan for a financial life without budgeting.

Smart Money Podcast: Neurodiverse Money, and Financial Infidelity
This week’s episode starts with a discussion on managing money when you’re neurodiverse.

‘Health Care Sharing’ Mimics Medigap, but Isn’t Insurance
Health care sharing ministries advertise programs for Medicare members, but there’s no guarantee they’ll pay for medical bills.

Thinking of Taking Social Security Early? What to Know
From a bigger check to a bigger spousal benefit, there are advantages to waiting to claim.

The 12-Word Financial Plan: Do This and You’re Done
Money News & Views: Just 12 words sum up a successful plan for a financial life without budgeting. Maybe even just six.

How to bolster your financial confidence

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Melinda Perez, a financial educator, still remembers the first time she felt financially confident. She had recently started investing money outside of her employer-sponsored retirement account because she was finally earning more than she spent. “It was exciting because for once, I had what felt like extra money,” recalls Perez, who lives in San Antonio, Texas.

Financial confidence, or the belief in one’s money-related abilities, might not come up as much as financial literacy — especially in April, Financial Literacy Month — but money experts say it’s often the hidden ingredient behind savvy money decisions. “If there’s no financial confidence, there is no willpower to succeed. We translate that to financial self-efficacy,” says Perez, who also studies financial confidence as part of her research as a doctoral candidate in organizational leadership.

But confidence with money can be hard to come by. According to a NerdWallet survey in January, three quarters of Americans say they do not feel confident about their personal finances for 2023, and many of them cite the uncertain U.S. economy.

There are, however, ways to boost your financial confidence. In Kimberly Palmer’s latest for the Associated Press, learn how to bolster your financial confidence.

Retiring? If you need a home loan, get one first

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Retired engineers Kelly and Derek Barkey assumed they would be approved when they applied for a $50,000 home equity line of credit two years ago to fix up their new house.

The Barkeys, now 56 and 59, had just sold their longtime home in Southern California and paid cash for a house worth about $850,000 near St. Louis, Missouri. They had retirement accounts worth $3 million, $500,000 in a taxable brokerage account and excellent credit scores.

They were surprised when a national bank turned them down. They tried a local credit union, which also rejected them.

“We haven’t been turned down for credit since about 1987,” says Kelly Barkey, remembering when the couple applied for a rewards credit card while she was still a college student.

In my latest for the Associated Press, learn how to get a home loan in retirement.

This week’s money news

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This week’s top story: Smart Money podcast on making your big money reset. In other news: what do financial experts say about investing in AI stocks, if COVID costs will be covered when the health emergency is ended, and what to do when Medicare doesn’t cover your prescription drug.

Smart Money Podcast: Making Your Big Money Reset, With Jill Schlesinger
This week’s episode is dedicated to a conversation with Jill Schlesinger, CBS business analyst, host of the “Jill on Money” podcast and author of “The Great Money Reset.”

What Do Financial Experts Say About Investing in AI Stocks?
Several publicly traded companies have links to artificial intelligence. But do AI stocks have a place in investors’ portfolios? Here’s what the experts say.

The Health Emergency Is Ending. Will COVID Costs Be Covered?
The health emergency expires May 11, with different impacts for those with private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid.

What to Do When Medicare Doesn’t Cover Your Prescription Drug
You may need to request a formulary exception or switch plans during an enrollment period.

This week’s money news

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This week’s top story: Smart Money podcast on recession anxiety, and retirement savings vs. mortgage payoff. In other news:  5 tax tips for older adults, paying taxes for a bank bonus or interest, and how a tax extension can delay your business loan application.

Smart Money Podcast: Recession Anxiety, and Retirement Savings vs. Mortgage Payoff
This week’s episode starts with a discussion about recession-proofing your finances.

5 Tax Tips for Older Adults
From Medicare premiums to state tax breaks, here are some items to keep in mind during tax season.

Earned a Bank Bonus or Interest? Don’t Forget to Pay Taxes
If you’ve received an account bonus or you’ve earned interest on a bank account, Uncle Sam would like his cut.

How a Tax Extension Can Delay Your Business Loan Application
A tax extension can delay or disqualify your business loan application because lenders need your most recent business and personal financial information when underwriting a loan.

How to protect parents from financial scams

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When a scam artist called Cameron Huddleston’s mom to tell her to wire money in order to claim a prize, Huddleston had to intercept the calls. Her mom, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, was convinced she had to wire the money as soon as possible.

“That was a wake-up call for me. If you have any cognitive decline, you don’t see those red flags anymore,” says Huddleston, who lives in Kentucky and is the director of education at Carefull, a service built to protect aging adults’ daily finances. She also wrote the book “Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk,” on how to have important conversations about money with your parents.

Scam artists often target older adults, partly because they have amassed greater wealth. In Kimberly Palmer’s latest for the Associated Press, learn how to protect parents from financial scams.