I recently used the College Board’s “estimated family contribution” calculator to see how much we’ll be expected to pay when our (currently pre-teen) daughter heads off to college. The answer? Roughly half our annual incomes. Each year. No colleges actually charge the amount we’d theoretically be expected to pay. So our out-of-pocket costs would be […]
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Tuesday’s need-to-know money news
Today’s top story: How to financially prepare for winter. Also in the news: How to determine if you should rent or buy a home, how to keep student loans from ruining your life, and how to avoid gift card fraud during the holidays. 8 Ways to Tackle Winter Money Challenges With Ease How to reduce […]
Grab your Small Business Saturday credits now
American Express’ “Small Business Saturday” credits are back, and they’re more lucrative this year: a $10 statement credit for purchases of $10 or more at qualifying small businesses on Nov. 29. You can get up to $30 in credits on each registered card. I signed up three of our Amex cards yesterday when registration opened, […]
Monday’s need-to-know money news
Today’stop story: For a low-cost college education, consider moving to these places. Also in the news: Celebrating your small financial victories, the hype surrounding Black Friday, and why more Americans are having a tough time making ends meet. The Best and Worst Places to Live for a Low-Cost College Education Planning ahead. Celebrate Your Small […]
Q&A: Disability and student loan liability
Dear Liz: My nephew was persuaded by a recruiter to attend a for-profit technical college. Then, once he entered, his “advisors” persuaded him to take many, many classes — at full price — always handing him student loan paperwork to get more loans. Then they persuaded him to change his major, necessitating a whole new […]
Q&A: Credit card debt and surviving spouses
Dear Liz: You’ve answered a number of questions regarding credit card debt when a person dies. But I haven’t quite seen the answer I need. If a spouse dies, and the remaining spouse is not on the credit card account, is it still the responsibility of the survivor to pay the card? Does the answer […]