Dear Liz: I have a question about wills. Since circumstances change over time, is it permissible to make “pen and ink” changes to a will? For example, can I cross out a beneficiary that no longer applies and date and initial the cross out? Answer: Think about how easy it would be for someone else to alter […]
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This week’s money news
This week’s top story: Mortgage rates will not fall in March. In other news: Rental housing prices 2024, why some millennials don’t want kids, and managing credit cards when you grew up in a cash-only household. When Will Mortgage Rates Fall? Probably Not in March Mortgage rates are expected to go down sometime in 2024, but […]
Q&A: Is it possible to have too many credit cards?
Dear Liz: I have accumulated too many credit cards, sometimes to get bonus frequent flier miles. The frequent flier miles cards all have annual fees. I always pay cards in full each month. My credit score is 800-plus every month. I have heard that your credit score is dinged when you close credit accounts. Is that […]
Q&A: Determining a house’s value
Dear Liz: I understand that as a widow, if I sell my house I get the stepped-up value from the year my husband died. Should I have gotten an appraisal at that time (26 years ago)? How do I find out what my home was worth then? We bought it in 1973 and he died in […]
Q&A: Alternatives to paper checks
Dear Liz: Because I am concerned about check fraud, I pay most of my bills online. However, I still need checks for paying my housekeeper, gardener, etc. I use a gel ink pen to deter fraud but was wondering if there is something else I should consider doing. Answer: Checks you hand to people you know are probably less […]
This week’s money news
This week’s top story: How to manage a retirement spending. In other news: The best time for high CD rates might be right now, the Credit Card Competition Act and credit unions, and what you can expect next if you got a SAVE student loan forgiveness email. Retirement Spending Is a U-Shaped Curve. Here’s How to […]