Today’s top story: How to choose your first credit card. Also in the news: Creating a secret financial goal number, unnecessary purchases that are killing your budget, and how to decide between a bank or a credit union. You’re Finally Getting Your First Credit Card: How to Choose Finding the card that best suits your […]
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Monday’s need-to-know money news
Today’s top story: How to make 2015 your best financial year. Also in the news: Avoiding tax scams, why this tax season could be a nightmare, and how to make sure your retirement funds last as long as you do. 5 Tips for Making 2015 Your Best Financial Year Resolutions for your wallet. 3 Common […]
Q&A: Terminating private mortgage insurance
Dear Liz: I bought my first home about a year ago. Because I had very little money for the down payment, I have to pay private mortgage insurance, which is a whopping $385 each month. My burning question about this is: How can I get rid of it? There must be a way to pay […]
Q&A: Paying a deceased person’s debts
Dear Liz: When I read the letter from the woman about her mother’s debts, it brought back my situation with my brother and mom. My brother was trustee to my mother’s living will and told her she had no money. At 90, she became worried and wanted to cut back on the care she needed. […]
Q&A: Follow up on the Windfall Elimination Provision
Dear Liz: You recently addressed the issue of the Windfall Elimination Provision, which reduces Social Security benefits for people who paid into Social Security but who also get a pension from an employer that does not pay into the system. My wife taught for nearly 40 years. Neither she nor her employer contributed to Social […]
Q&A: The tax implications of downsizing
Dear Liz: My mother just turned 75 and wants to downsize from her four-bedroom house. My father passed away six years ago. She owns her home outright, and at the time of my father’s death the value of the house was estimated at $1.2 million. Right now she has enough income from retirement accounts and […]