Get smart with your money
If you’re stressing about holiday bills and other year-end expenses, the following suggestions might help you have a better 2014: Try a no-spend month. The first time I led a “no spend” experiment at MSN nearly a decade ago, readers reported saving hundreds of dollars. But the bigger benefit was their increased awareness at how […]
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Today’s top story: The scary statistics of identity theft. Also in the news: A money checklist for 2014, financial resolutions for the new year, and what will cost more in ’14. These Identity Theft Statistics Are Even Scarier Than You’d Expect Don’t become a statistic. Your New Year Money Checklist Preparing your money for the […]
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Dear Liz: I have about $16,000 in student loans at 6.8% interest. At the current monthly payment it would take me about 7.5 years to pay them off. I contribute 10% of my income to my company’s Roth 401(k) plan (my employer matches the first 6% contributed). I also contribute 3% to the stock purchasing […]
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Dear Liz: I have rental property, own my home outright, am contributing to a 401(k) and have a pension, so finances are not a big issue. I do have an adult son in law school and would like to know the most fiscally prudent way to pay for it. Are there limits on gifts, and […]
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Today’s top story: What a poor credit score can cost you. Also in the news: The worst money moves for the new year, how to cut next year’s expenses, and tips to get tax season started off on the right foot. What a poor credit rating is costing you Your job prospects could be at […]
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – When P.K. Drago graduated from George Washington University in 2009 at the peak of the Great Recession with $40,000 in student loan debt, she decided to do volunteer work. “It was not a good time” to get a job, the 26-year-old now says, and so she joined AmeriCorps, a volunteer organization […]
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LOS ANGELES, Dec 30 (Reuters) – When P.K. Drago graduated from George Washington University in 2009 at the peak of the Great Recession with $40,000 in student loan debt, she decided to do volunteer work. “It was not a good time” to get a job, the 26-year-old now says, and so she joined AmeriCorps, a […]
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Dear Liz: I think I have a phobia about spending money. I’m a young professional who has devoted a lot of time to building up my savings account. I also contribute sizable amounts to my 401(k) and IRA each month. I pay off my credit cards each month, and I am making larger-than-necessary payments on […]
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Dear Liz: I always hear you talking about having an emergency savings fund. Most people that I’ve heard talk about this recommend keeping it in cash. I just couldn’t stand watching that money languish in a low-interest savings account, so I recently moved it over to my brokerage account and purchased a few exchange-traded funds. […]
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Dear Liz: Here’s a suggestion for the reader who prefers a debit card to a credit card so she will not get in debt: Use your credit card as a debit card. Every month I pay any credit card balance plus an additional amount equal to a month’s average purchases. Then I keep track of […]
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