This week’s top story: Smart Money podcast on no-spend month 2.0, and recovering from credit damage. In other news: February mortgage rates on the downslope by end of month, having a conversation about fraud with older adults, and how to save your job from laying off. Smart Money Podcast: No-Spend Month 2.0, and Recovering From […]
Recent Blog Posts
How to safely use payment apps
As a frequent PayPal user, Kim Palmer wasn’t surprised to see a payment request on the app pop up. But when she read it, she knew something was wrong. In Kimberly Palmer’s latest for the Associated Press, learn how to safely use payment apps.
Q&A: Are you trying for a perfect credit score? Maybe you don’t need to
Dear Liz: My credit score fluctuates between 799 and 815. It used to be 850. I always pay my bills in full and on time, and keep the credit utilization low. The only comment I can find about why my credit score isn’t higher is that I lack a loan. I don’t owe any money and […]
Q&A: Survivor Social Security benefit
Dear Liz: When you discuss a survivor receiving 50% of their spouse’s Social Security benefit, are you basing the 50% on gross or net income? Answer: The survivor benefit is up to 100% of what the deceased spouse or ex-spouse was receiving from Social Security, before taxes. If the spouse or ex starts Social Security early, that […]
Q&A: Surviving spouse’s home gains
Dear Liz: If a surviving spouse is selling the couple’s longtime home, are there any special provisions on the long-term capital gains? Answer: When one spouse dies, their half of the home gets a new value for tax purposes. The value is “stepped up” to the current market value, so that the appreciation that happened on that half of […]
How to create your retirement glide path
In investing terms, a “glide path ” describes how a mix of investments changes over time. Typically, the mix gets more conservative — with fewer stocks and more bonds, for example — as the investor approaches a goal such as retirement. You also can create a glide path into retirement by making gradual changes in […]