Dear Liz: I will be 68 this summer and plan on working two more years. My wife retired in 2011 after turning 60. We would like to maximize our Social Security and are planning on having her take spousal benefits when I retire. When she turns 70, she can switch to her own benefit. How […]
Recent Blog Posts
Don’t sweat the small (FICO) stuff
Dear Liz: Over the last couple of years I have managed to pay off my credit cards. I know that closing those accounts will hurt my credit so I kept them open. When I checked my credit report, I found that my rating had gone down and was told that I had to actually use […]
Catch me on CNBC today
I’ll be discussing how 10 years of savings can be worth more than 30 years of savings on today’s “Closing Bell” with Kelly Evans and Scott Wapner. Today’s 20-somethings have a unique–and easily blown–opportunity to set themselves up for their future. Because of the power of compounding, the money they save now for retirement is […]
How to avoid moving scams
The last time we moved, our stuff was held hostage. The mover had a variety of entirely bogus reasons for hanging onto our stuff while trying to exceed the written, “not to exceed” estimate. Among the excuses: We didn’t tell him there were steps at the new house (there were two) or it was at […]
It’s National 529 Day!
Who doesn’t love obscure commemorative/promotional days? But this one is worthwhile since it brings attention to the state-run college savings plans that can help you pay for your children’s future education. Here are the most important facts you need to know about college savings: If you can save for college, you probably should. The higher […]
Split credit accounts when you split with a spouse
Dear Liz: I just finished paying off my last credit card and checked my credit report as I am now separated from my wife. I found we had one joint account that she had not been paying. There are two stretches of five months each of no payment. I immediately called up the creditor and […]