Dear Liz: You recently answered a question about a young man who was turned down for a car loan because he graduated from college debt free and had no credit history. This is the same scenario my daughter encountered this past year. Despite having a solid job for three years at a good salary, plenty […]
Recent Blog Posts
How to get free summer travel
My daughter hasn’t seen her cousins in the Northwest for awhile, so I just finished booking us a late-summer trip to see them. The net cost so far? Less than $30. Here’s how I did it: Amtrak roomette. We both love train travel, and the points I earn using my Starwood American Express card transfer […]
How young ‘uns can build credit scores
Dear Liz: Our son was recently turned down for a car loan even though my wife and I were willing to co-sign and we have excellent credit scores. The reason for the denial was “no credit history.” Because we had paid some college expenses and he had basketball athletic scholarships, our son graduated from college […]
How spousal benefits work
Dear Liz: My wife has never worked outside the home and therefore has no Social Security credits. My understanding is that as a nonworking spouse, she is entitled to 50% of my benefit, assuming she is 66 years old and I have started receiving benefits. Is that correct? Answer: You’ve got the right general idea. […]
How to make headway on student loans
Dear Liz:I owe $75,000 in student loans. It took me seven years to graduate from college due to a car accident that happened during my second year. I am now 30 and doing all I can, working 12 to 14 hours a day, but I’m not making any headway. Most if not all of my […]
Daily money managers can help pay the bills
Dear Liz: I read with interest your answers about older people who need a trusted gatekeeper to keep others from taking financial advantage. I want to let you know there’s great help out there for seniors: the American Assn. of Daily Money Managers. We daily money managers provide assistance to people who have difficulty managing […]