Dear Liz: Should we get a rewards card? We have excellent credit scores. I’m a stay-at-home mom and my husband has a good, steady job. We spend about $6,000 a month with our debit card or automatic drafts from our checking account. I think our family should have a rewards card. My husband disagrees and […]
Recent Blog Posts
Windfall in your 50s? Don’t blow it
Dear Liz: I am 56 and will be receiving $175,000 from the sale of a home I inherited. I do not know what to do with this money. I have been underemployed or unemployed for six years, have no retirement savings and am terrified this money will get chipped away for day-to-day expenses so that […]
Spreading the wealth: the number of millionaires grows
More people have achieved a net worth of at least $1 million, not including their primary residences. The Spectrum Group, which keeps track of these things, said the number of millionaires climbed for the third straight year to 8.6 million in 2011 (or 7.5% of all U.S. households). The growth in millionaires follows a 27% […]
Retire in style: What you need to know
Reuters has a nice package of retirement stories that are worth checking out: Ecuador seen as new retirement hot spot I mentioned Ecuador in my column “Retire overseas on $1,200 a month,” and now it’s been named a top spot for bargain-seeking retirees, according to International Living magazine’s 2012 Global Retirement Index. What retirees wish […]
Moonjar winners: check your email!
All 12 winners of the Moonjar Money Boxes have been notified, but I’ve only heard back from 8 of you. If I don’t hear back from the other four, the prizes will be awarded to other entrants. So: SUZY, JENNIFER S., EMILY B. and KATHY L., check your email (and your spam filter) and get […]
Could son’s unpaid bills harm parents’ credit? Maybe
Dear Liz: Our 24-year-old son lives with us. He failed out of college, has been fired from two restaurant jobs and is working part time at a grocery warehouse. He has neglected to pay his credit card for several months. He also waits until his cellphone carrier threatens to turn off his phone before he […]