Few retirement decisions are as critical, or as easy to get wrong, as when and how to take your Social Security benefits. The rules can be so convoluted that many people rely on what they’re told by Social Security employees, but that could prove to be an expensive mistake. In my latest for the Associated […]
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Tuesday’s need-to-know money news
Today’s top story: 5 options for your money before student loan payments resume. Also in the news: Why the freelancing boom may change how you buy life insurance, 4 signs we’re in a housing market primed for regret, and how to invest in real estate with your IRA. 5 Options for Your Money Before Student […]
Monday’s need-to-know money news
Today’s top story: Charged an overdraft fee? Ask for a refund. Also in the news: A new episode of the Smart Money podcast on DIY investing, beating your summer revenge shopping debt, and what every homeowner should know about trampolines. Charged an Overdraft Fee? Ask for a Refund It never hurts to ask. Smart Money […]
Q&A: Credit reports vs. credit scores
Dear Liz: I recently downloaded both my wife’s and my own credit reports. I noticed that, for a number of reasons, her report has much less information than mine. The probability is that I will die before her, so my question is whether you can suggest any ways to be sure she has a good […]
Q&A: Financial aid and 529 plans
Dear Liz: As a grandparent who has established 529 accounts for each of my grandchildren, I was particularly interested in your advice to the writer who asked you how to use money that’s left in the 529 account to pay off a loan debt. Although it seems that “the horse had already left the barn,” […]
Q&A: Medicare is complicated. Here’s how it works
Dear Liz: My husband and I are in our 50s and have widowed moms in their 80s. We always understood that when you begin taking Medicare, you are required to choose a plan such as SCAN or Blue Shield and to follow that plan’s benefits and limits. However, my friend who works in a hospital […]