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 […]
Recent Blog Posts
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 […]
Fighting over money? Ways to seek common ground with your partner
Figuring out how to manage money together might be an important part of a happy relationship, but it’s a skill that doesn’t always come naturally. “When there’s conflict or discord, it’s usually not about the money itself, but related to the meaning each person is attaching to money. There’s always something deeper,” says Cohen Taylor, […]
Q&A: Here’s something you might not know about how colleges hand out financial aid
Dear Liz: After the pandemic started, we received money from the federal government and decided to put it in a custodial account for our son, starting when he was 14. We invested the money in a Standard & Poor’s index fund. I now think I made a mistake and should have simply added the money to […]
Q&A: Naming beneficiaries turns tricky
Dear Liz: I have spent the majority of the last three decades abroad. Relationships fade away if there is little contact. Such is life. Most of the financial accounts that I have allow me to provide an organization as a beneficiary. But some institutions, like TreasuryDirect, require an actual person to be listed as a […]
Q&A: Junk fees for online payments
Dear Liz: You recently answered a question about fees for paying bills online. I agree that the $12 fee mentioned is too high but I also know that any platform costs money to maintain. I work for a nonprofit that takes donations and our donors can choose to pay the fee. I doubt regular customers would agree […]