High-yield cash management accounts are popping up at brokerages nationwide, promising customers much better returns and higher insurance limits than they can get from traditional banks. The accounts are a twist on the sweep accounts brokerages have long offered their customers, where idle cash is swept into a money market account or affiliated bank account […]
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Tuesday’s need-to-know money news
Today’s top story: Home Down payment – more attainable than you may think. Also in the news: The best balance transfer credit cards for business, the SmartMoney podcast tackles converting an IRA to a Roth, and how to avoid higher airline baggage fees. Home Down Payment: More Attainable Than You May Think Big down payments […]
Monday’s need-to-know money news
Today’s top story: How the IRS knows if you cheat on your taxes. Also in the news: 3 reasons to pay for spring break with a travel credit card, alternative options if you can’t find an affordable FHA-approved home, and why the bank holds your deposit for 9 days on new accounts. How the IRS […]
Q&A: To build credit, try this set-it-and-forget-it trick
Dear Liz: I have little credit history and my Experian credit score is about 620. My wife has no credit history. We are in the process of increasing our creditworthiness. I have an unsecured credit card from my credit union. She will be getting a secured credit card. We will use these lightly and regularly, […]
Q&A: Delaying Social Security benefits
Dear Liz: My wife is a retired schoolteacher who has a pension. Because she is subject to the government pension offset, she will not be eligible for my Social Security benefit when I pass. My plan was to wait until 70 to file to maximize my benefit. This usually has the advantage of also increasing […]
Q&A: An emergency kit document hack
Dear Liz: Thanks for answering my question about storing hard copies of financial services records for emergency preparedness. My wife and I finally reached a compromise: We printed out our account numbers, but we attached code names to them that only we would recognize. Now both of us are comfortable that even though someone might […]