Get smart with your money
Dear Liz: My wife and I have had our bank’s airline cards a long time, but we want to change because it’s become almost impossible to cash in the miles. What I don’t see in various card-comparison articles are ratings of the card issuers for customer service and fraud protection. Our bank has been quite […]
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Dear Liz: As a CPA financial advisor to individuals and small businesses, I devour your column. It’s almost always spot on. But the first sentence of your advice to the person whose 401(k) doesn’t offer a match — “start looking for a better job” — was not, and you missed an opportunity to educate your […]
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Today’s top story: Hiccups to avoid when applying for a VA loan. Also in the news: Keeping your home from turning into a money pit, learning the basics of the Affordable Care Act, and how to file your tax returns electronically. 5 Homebuying Hiccups for Veterans to Avoid How to clear any potential hurdles on […]
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Student loan borrowers who feel trapped by high-rate private loans finally have more options to refinance their debt, but not everyone will be able to find relief. In January, Citizens Bank became the latest to offer private consolidation loans that provide lower and sometimes fixed rates to borrowers with good credit […]
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Today’s top story: What to do with those savings bonds you received as a kid. Also in the news: Teaching your kids about personal finance, tips on becoming debt free in 2014, and when you can finally say goodbye to the old debt lingering on your credit report. What to Do With a Childhood Savings […]
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Today’s top story: How to get ahead at work. Also in the news: Saving for retirement in your 20s, avoiding tax filings scams, and how usury laws protect consumers from illegal interest rates. Want to Get Ahead at Work? Be a Mindreader Become your company’s Kreskin. Advice for the 20-Somethings: Start Saving For Retirement Now […]
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Tax season has begun, which means it’s time to start organizing paperwork–and purging files. When I wrote “Easy Money” in 2007, I was this close to paperless nirvana. Our bills were paid automatically, most of our statements were electronic, and I looked forward to the day when my file cabinets would be so empty they […]
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Today’s top story: Could your job search be impeded by medical debt? Also in the news: Easy steps for a complete money makeover, the future of identity theft, and details on the new MyRa retirement savings plan. Could Your Medical Debt Keep You From Getting a Job? Not if Senator Warren has her way. 9 […]
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Many financial planners view reverse mortgages as a last resort—expensive and unwise except for those who have no other options. Recent research and changes in the federal reverse mortgage program are starting to change those views, planner Michael Kitces told a group at the AICPA Advanced Financial Planning Conference in Las Vegas last week. It […]
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Today’s top story: Just how safe are your credit cards? Also in the news: Your hidden credit score, purchasing life insurance, and how you can get your financial resolutions back on track. Could Your Credit Card Be Safer? How the U.S. stacks up against other countries in credit card security. How Lenders Use Your Hidden […]
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