Today’s top story: Care about your credit score? Get strategic with card limits. Also in the news: Buy now, pay later traps, and what to know about bitcoin as it approaches $70,000. Care About Your Credit Score? Get Strategic With Card Limits Actively managing how much of your credit limits you are using can make […]
Recent Blog Posts
Reluctant to retire? 3 signs you’re ready
Many people don’t have much choice about when they retire. Illness, job loss or caretaking responsibilities push them out of the labor force, ready or not. But some people have the opposite problem: They do have a choice, and yet they can’t quite bring themselves to quit working. In my latest for the Associated Press, […]
Monday’s need-to-know money news
Today’s top story: Should you bank with your brokerage?Also in the news: AirPods Black Friday 2021 deals, Smart Money Podcast on the benefits of being boring with your money, and saving money even back at the gym. Should You Bank With Your Brokerage? A cash management account can make it easier to invest, and CMAs […]
Q&A: Gift taxes vs. estate taxes
Dear Liz: A reader recently asked about passing a $500,000 inheritance to their children. You mentioned the option of disclaiming, or refusing the inheritance so that it would go to their kids. You wrote, “If you decide not to disclaim and later give the entire $500,000 to your kids, you wouldn’t have to pay gift taxes until […]
Q&A: Exes and Social Security benefits
Dear Liz: I receive Social Security. My recently divorced girlfriend receives Social Security from her ex-husband who is still living. If we were to get married, would either of us lose part or all of our Social Security benefits? It seems like a simple, straightforward question, but every Social Security representative I speak with by phone […]
Q&A: How a fee-only financial planner differs from a fee-based one
Dear Liz: What is the difference between a fee-based financial planner and a fee-only financial planner? I have had a few complimentary meetings with a fee-based financial planner regarding retirement planning and income-generating strategy. I am 61 and currently have $325,000 in a traditional IRA and a 401(k) from a former employer, with 70% of both […]