Q&A: Why co-signing a loan, especially a student loan, can be a costly move

Dear Liz: I co-signed a student loan to help a 31-year-old woman complete her schooling to become a nurse. I know this was something I should not have done, but I just could not refuse her. I did not realize that because no payments had to be made until after the student’s graduation, the loan […]

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Q&A: Social Security’s widespread benefits

Dear Liz: I encourage you to educate your readers about the real intention of Social Security, as well as the real problem facing it. Social Security was designed as a safety net to keep the elderly, disabled and orphaned from abject poverty. It was not intended to provide decades of benefits to individuals who are […]

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Friday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: Paying debt back home vexes expats. Also in the news: 6 surefire ways to delay your tax refund, can your employer cure your money woes, and how paying your credit card minimum puts you in a debt spiral. Paying Debt Back Home Vexes Expats When your debt follows you around the world. […]

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Thursday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: Can your employer cure your money woes? Also in the news: 10 lessons from the bull market’s 10-year anniversary, how to get money if you don’t have an emergency fund, and the $1.4 billion in refunds left on the table by taxpayers. Can Your Employer Cure Your Money Woes? Targeting debt-related stress […]

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Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: These 4 tax scams could really cost you. Also in the news: 3 times you can pay taxes with plastic and come out ahead, how to decide between investing in a 401(k) or a Roth 401(k), and the 5 best free money-management apps. These 4 Tax Scams Could Really Cost You Here’s […]

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Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: Home affordability watch: the priciest and cheapest time zones. Also in the news: 5 things you don’t have to pay a tax preparer to do, cheap flights to Hawaii, and the 10 cities most prepared for retirement’s financial realities. Home Affordability Watch: Priciest and Cheapest Time Zones NerdWallet crunches the numbers. 5 […]

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Can your employer cure your money woes?

Millions of Americans get their health insurance and retirement accounts through their employers. Now some are getting help with their debt. Companies including insurer Aetna and accounting firm PwC help employees pay down student loans. Others partner with startups to offer debt solutions as an employee benefit. In my latest for the Associated Press, a […]

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Monday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: 10 lessons from the Bull Market’s 10-year anniversary. Also in the news: Money mistakes even smart people make, 3 things that change when you’re a homeowner, and why you should check your credit report even if your credit is frozen. 10 Lessons From the Bull Market’s 10-Year Anniversary Learning from the past […]

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Q&A: Stop judging that overspending friend

Dear Liz: My friend is not good with money. He has always lived above his means. He lived in a fancy apartment, leases a BMW and goes out to eat often. To make matters worse, he lost his job a year ago and had to move in with a mutual friend. He continues to spend […]

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Q&A: Get help claiming Social Security

Dear Liz: I read your column about the disabled woman who was asking about survivor benefits. I am 60 and my husband died when he was 65, but he was not receiving Social Security. We both paid into Social Security for our entire working careers and maxed out every year. I have been told that […]

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