Dear Liz: I am not versed at all in money matters. I have no clue where to invest or even if I should invest. I have $5,000 squirreled away that I am totally comfortable investing for 12 months because I feel I would have no need for it before then. Can you make a suggestion […]
Recent Blog Posts
6 money resolutions you can actually keep
Let’s face the grim truth: Those 10 pounds you want to lose will likely be among your New Year’s resolutions next year, too. If you really want a sense of accomplishment, take care of money tasks that don’t require ongoing discipline and that you typically don’t have to repeat every year. In my latest for […]
Holiday debt hangover? Here’s how to fix it
Despite what you often read, credit card debt isn’t typical. One quarter of U.S. households don’t use credit cards at all, and another 35 percent or so regularly pay their balances in full, according to Federal Reserve statistics. Among households that carry credit card balances, the median debt–where half owe more and half owe less–is somewhere […]
Q&A: The argument for having different caretakers for healthcare and financial decisions
Dear Liz: My mother is 74 and her health is starting to deteriorate. She had a last will made up about 15 years ago when my stepdad left her. I found out that she named me executor and gave me power of attorney for healthcare decisions. After the last year, when she became very contentious […]
Q&A: Your gift won’t get you a medical deduction
Dear Liz: A couple I’ve known for years recently adopted 2-year-old twins. Both will need considerable medical care, as they were born to a drug-addicted mother. In sending out announcements, my friends suggested sending funds for the twins’ medical needs, rather than toys. I took note and sent a check earmarked for their healthcare. My […]
Q&A: How to help a hoarder parent
Dear Liz: Can you address parents who never throw anything away? It can be a burden to their children when parents leave behind massive amounts of collected, hoarded items, broken cars, old furniture, memorabilia, clothing unworn for decades, etc. This can be troublesome in terms of time off from work to clear an estate and […]