Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

Getting creative with your down payment, must-have documents for estate planning, and common mistakes to avoid when buying your first home. 5 Creative Ways to Come Up With a Down Payment None of which involve selling a kidney! 3 Retirement Planning Tactics to Adopt Before You Hit 60 These tactics will make the transition to […]

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Ex is trashing her credit scores

Dear Liz: How long must I be punished for my ex’s poor payment history? In our divorce he agreed to pay the credit cards and other bills. He defaulted and has filed for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. My credit scores plummeted, and recently one of the cards I obtained on my own to help rebuild […]

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Spousal vs. survivor benefits: the key differences

Dear Liz: I am 66 years old. When I was 60, my husband of 42 years died. He was a banker with more than 40 years of work history at a good income level. I remarried a year later. When I was 62, I was downsized and took early Social Security benefits based on my […]

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Missed deadline could limit inherited Roth IRA’s benefits

Dear Liz: I inherited my brother’s Roth IRA about three years ago. I find it hard to get any information about non-spousal inherited Roths. Can you tell me more about this type of Roth IRA? Answer: It may be unfortunate that you didn’t ask sooner. When a spouse inherits a Roth IRA, he can roll […]

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Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

Getting along with debt collectors, saving big on life insurance, and what to take into consideration as your work towards retirement. 6 Important Things You Need to Know About Debt Collectors Working with debt collectors doesn’t have to be a miserable situation. 5 Smart Ways to Save Big on Life Insurance Getting the most bang […]

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Friday’s need-to-know money news

The craziness of prescription drug pricing, how financial stress can tax your mind, and why that friend you play Candy Crush with could be ruining your credit score. $37 to $162: The Strange World of Birth Control Pill Prices How to shop wisely for your prescriptions. 5 Subscriptions You Could Be Paying Less For Surprising […]

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Thursday’s need-to-know money news

Preparing for rising interest rates, making your charitable donations go further, and why having extra liability coverage is essential. Extra liability coverage is cheap, cheap, cheap Buying as much car insurance as humanly possible is essential. 5 Steps to Take Control of Your Personal Finances Simple things you can do to take control. Charitable Donation […]

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Hacking Hawaii

“It’s beautiful, but so expensive!” More than one friend has told me they were blown away by how much their Hawaiian idyll cost them. They were prepared for hefty airfares, but the daily costs of living are what got them. Here’s what we did to keep the bills down during a recent trip to Maui: […]

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Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

How not to sabotage your finances, what to be on the lookout for when buying a new car, and finding the hidden costs of retirement. 10 Ways to Sabotage Your Finances Consider this a To Not Do List. Use Cash or Mortgage to Buy a Vacation Home? The answer may surprise you. 6 ways to […]

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Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

Saving on back-to-school purchases, a new way to pay for holiday expenses, and how being bad tenant can cause an array of problems. Financial caution pays off in stocking up for school Don’t let the back-to-school rush drain your bank account. Your Ticket to Extra Cash for the Holidays The holidays (and their expenses) are […]

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