Get smart with your money
Dear Liz: I have appreciated your advice over the years, but I strongly disagree with your information about relying on electronic media during a disaster. If a really big disaster happens in this country, there will be no internet or Wi-Fi available. When the Loma Prieta earthquake hit in 1989, everything was offline for days, […]
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Today’s top story: I travel-hacked a college tour and saved $3,000 miles. Also in the news: How to fight back against being an online fraud target, 3 essential budget categories, and where to find deals on National Pizza Day. I Travel-Hacked a College Tour and Saved $3,000 An Amtrak sale inspired me to use points, […]
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Today’s top story: How ex-offenders can rebuild with a bank account. Also in the news: Determining how much you should spend on rent, how to have a baby even if you’re worried you can’t afford it, and how to handle awkward financial conversations. How Ex-Offenders Can Rebuild With a Bank Account Starting over. How Much […]
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Today’s top story: How to avoid PMI when buying a home. Also in the news: Getting to know your scary new car, 8 African-American financial gurus to follow for 2020, and how to recertify your student loan repayment program. How to Avoid PMI When Buying a Home Ways around private mortgage insurance. Get to Know […]
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Amtrak’s “buy one, get one” spring sale got me started. My teenage daughter and I had used a similar two-for-one deal last year to take an overnight train trip from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon. This year, she wanted to use her spring break to check out colleges in Chicago as well as the Pacific […]
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Today’s top story: 9 money resolutions and tips for 2020 from our experts. Also in the news: How one woman paid off nearly $125,000 of debt in nine years, how to pay off Parent PLUS loans faster, and why the IRS wants you to do your taxes early. 9 Money Resolutions (and Tips) for 2020 […]
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Today’s top story: Is chasing the highest savings rate worth it? In other news: A new tax form that may help simplify things for seniors, a new episode of the SmartMoney podcast, and 5 things you’ll wish you knew before you retired. Is Chasing the Highest Savings Rate Worth It? Breaking down the pros and […]
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Dear Liz: In a recent column, you mentioned that after age 70½, one can donate up to $100,000 to a charity directly from an IRA. Can one still take that as a charitable donation on income tax forms? If I have a required minimum distribution of $10,000, but make a $10,000 donation to a charity, […]
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Dear Liz: At the moment I contribute to a 403(b) retirement plan at work. I have another 403(b) with a former employer, but haven’t contributed to it since I changed jobs several years ago. Should I contribute to both rather than just one? Also, my current employer offers a deferred compensation plan, but they don’t […]
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Dear Liz: My wife and I are having a disagreement regarding documentation for our disaster recovery kit. She wants to put in hard copies of drivers’ licenses, credit cards, financial records, including bank and equity accounts. I think that all we need are account numbers, because the financial institutions will hold actual documentation in safer […]
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