Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I bought a fat paperback test prep book to help me study for the SAT (which, back then, was still known as the Scholarship Aptitude Test). I didn’t buy the book until after I’d already taking the SAT the first time. After studying, I took the test again–and did […]
Recent Blog Posts
Monday’s need-to-know money news
Today’s top story: How to pay off your student loan in four years or less. Also in the news: Affordable ways to help someone having a bad time, how healthy living could save you money, and an easy way to tell if you have good credit. 5 Tips For Paying Off Your Student Loans in […]
Q&A: Home equity loans, mortgages and retirement
Dear Liz: I wish to add a little more information for the retired individual who had trouble getting approved for a home equity loan because he had no regular income (although he had plenty of assets). I’d suggest consulting a mortgage broker, not a bank. An independent broker is not captive to one set of […]
Q&A: Helping retired parents refinance
Dear Liz: I am trying to help my retired parents refinance their home. Currently they are paying over 8% interest. (This loan should be illegal.) The problem is their credit score, which is around 536. They had a tax lien in 2004 (it has been paid off for over four years) and some minor credit […]
Money rules of thumb: Retirement edition
For every rule of thumb, there are hundreds of people who would quibble with it. We saw that just recently with a USA Today columnist who quantified exactly how much you need to save for retirement (his answer, via an analysis by T. Rowe Price: $82.28 a day). Lots of people didn’t like that the […]
Friday’s need-to-know money news
Today’s top story: How to find the right credit card. Also in the news: Improving your financial knowledge, setting good financial examples for your kids, and why payday loans are as bad as Peeps. What Credit Cards Should I Avoid? Finding the card that best suits your needs. 5 Ways to Improve Your Financial Knowledge […]