Saving for the holidays, how to manage your finances while having ADHD, and how letting Big Brother ride shotgun could save you money on car insurance. Why You Need to Save Now for Christmas Yes, it’s only September. No, that’s not too early. 5 Years After Financial Crisis: Meet the New Consumer The financial crisis […]
Recent Blog Posts
Something to be proud of
As you may know by now, I won’t be writing for MSN after Sept. 30, when the site pulls the plug on original content. (Translated: instead of paying writers, MSN will be getting its articles for free from other sites.) I don’t know what’s next, but I’m kind of excited by the possibilities that are […]
Friday’s need-to-know money news
Why Generation X needs to accept the inevitable, coping with a layoff, and how the key to financial prosperity could be inside a funeral home. Survey: Gen X seriously short on life insurance Note to Gen Xers: You’re not getting any younger. 3 Ways You May Be Throwing Money Away Without Realizing It Hands off […]
Are prepaid cards good for an allowance?
Dear Liz: My son is 12 and receives a regular monthly allowance that I’ve been giving to him in cash. I think it might be time for a checking account. I would like to teach him about using a debit card and not overdrawing his account. All the banks that I have called will not […]
No spouse, no kids. Time to cancel life insurance?
Dear Liz: I am 43 and divorced. I have a mortgage and an auto payment. I fully fund my 401(k) each year and am funding a Roth IRA. I also have emergency savings of $30,000 and a term life insurance policy for $350,000. What I don’t have is children or a spouse. I am thinking […]
Does charged-off debt disappear?
Dear Liz: I understand that creditors eventually write off unpaid debts and receive a federal tax deduction for the loss. Then they sell that “debt” to a collection agency. However, isn’t the debt rendered void by the fact the original creditor charged it off and got the deduction? So how can collection agencies attempt to […]