Get smart with your money
Today’s top story: Home improvements that don’t pay off in the long run. Also in the news: How to build a budget, easy ways to vet financial aid offers, and how to lay the financial groundwork for a career change. 4 Home Improvements That Don’t Pay (and 4 Better Options) How to avoid turning your […]
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A reader in her 70s once asked me why kids today don’t do what she did: Work for a year after high school and save up enough to pay for a bachelor’s degree. If you just busted out laughing, then you’re familiar with how high today’s college costs are compared with five or six decades […]
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Today’s top story: What to do if you’ve been blacklisted by ChexSystems. Also in the news: How to avoid early withdrawal fees for CDs, steps to take if you can’t pay your taxes, and the high cost of being poor. Blacklisted by ChexSystems? Here’s What to Know That bounced check may have come back to […]
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Today’s top story: Why we’re not saving enough for retirement, and how to catch up. Also in the news: Avoiding monthly checking account fees, 3 easy ways to save for retirement, and answers to the tax questions your too embarrassed to ask. Here’s Why We’re Not Saving Enough for Retirement — and How to Catch […]
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Dear Liz: We have raised our granddaughter since birth. She is the apple of our eyes. Then she fell in love. The boyfriend had no job, no car. My husband co-signed a loan for this boy! He didn’t even know the boy’s last name. I was devastated, as we are on Social Security so our […]
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Dear Liz: I was wondering about the disabled vet who wanted to sell his home, which had increased in value by about $1 million. You mentioned that “[S]ingle people with incomes over $415,050 in 2016 are subject to the 39.6% marginal tax rate. Most people pay capital gains tax at a 15% rate, but those […]
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Today’s top story: How life insurance can affect your estate taxes. Also in the news: Money tips for new workers, 401(k) tips for when you quit your job, and important money lessons for kids under 5. How Life Insurance Can Affect Estate Taxes Life insurance comes into play if you have a sizeable estate. 4 […]
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Today’s top story: Understanding renters insurance. Also in the news: How many credit cards is too many, financial tips for military members making the transition to civilian life, and how your Health Savings Account can work like a super-IRA. Understanding Renters Insurance Protecting your valuables. Can You Have Too Many Credit Cards? Is there a […]
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Our tax laws are complex and often difficult to understand. Tax professionals warn us of the perils of audits. Penalties for getting our taxes wrong can be stiff — up to and including jail for those who deliberately evade the taxman. So why don’t we fear the IRS? Clearly, we have some fears about April […]
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