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Get smart with your money

banking

Monday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: 4 good ways to put your tax refund to work. Also in the news: 4 wats to speed up your tax refund, how 3 students got an education on the cheap, and Amazon may be getting into the banking business.

4 Good Ways to Put Your Tax Refund to Work
Use your refund to ease financial stress.

4 Ways to Speed Up Your Tax Refund
Skip the mailbox.

How 3 Students Got an Education on the Cheap
Avoiding years of debt.

Amazon’s next product may be a checking account
The online giant is eyeing banking.

Friday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: How to throw a blockbuster Oscar bash on an indie budget. Also in the news: Checking out your hotel room for safety, the stock market is back on the roller coaster, and why paper bank statements aren’t done just yet.

Throw a Blockbuster Oscars Bash on an Indie Budget
The award for Best Party could be yours.

Check In to Your Hotel Room, Then Check It Out for Safety
Making sure you stay safe on the road.

Stock Market Outlook: Back to a More Volatile Normal?
The roller coaster returns.

Don’t write off paper bank statements just yet
Going paperless isn’t for everyone.

You’re married, but your assets don’t have to be

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People who aren’t rich or famous typically don’t have prenuptial agreements, which are legal documents detailing who gets what in a divorce. Even ordinary folks without prenups, though, should think about how to protect their money if something goes wrong.

Planning for divorce may be cynical, but it’s also smart, San Diego certified financial planner Ginita Wall says.

In my latest for the Associated Press, how to protect your assets in case the unthinkable happens.

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: What to do if the new tax law changes your paycheck. Also in the news: The smartest way to use gift cards, giving up your brick-and-mortar bank, and smart money moves for Black Americans in financial distress.

What to Do If the New Tax Law Changes Your Paycheck
What to look out for.

The Smartest Way to Use Gift Cards
How to get the most value.

Can You Afford to Give Up Your Brick-and-Mortar Bank?
Making the switch to mobile banking.

Smart Money Moves for Black Americans in Financial Distress
Fighting against income disparity.

Should we pay people to save?

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Long ago, people were rewarded for saving. Banks contributed something known as “interest” to the amounts deposited in savings accounts.

OK, technically they still do, but you’d be forgiven for not noticing the tiny amounts added in a low-rate environment. The current average interest rate on savings accounts is 0.06 percent.

Anemic rates may not be a major reason why Americans don’t save enough, but there’s some evidence that better rewards could induce more people to save. Two approaches that seem to work: matching funds and prize-linked accounts.

In my latest for the Associated Press, could rewarding people for saving get them to save more?

Friday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Cryptocurrency for beginners. Also in the news: How credit card rewards made a couple’s dreams come true, when to tell your partner that you’re in serious debt, and why you should get a new bank if you’re paying fees.

Cryptocurrency for Beginners: 7 Questions to Ask
Understanding the hottest money trend.

How Credit Card Rewards Made Their Dreams Come True
Building rewards with an ultimate goal in mind.

Ask Brianna: Should I Tell My Partner I’m in Serious Debt?
When it’s time to confess.

If You’re Paying Fees of Any Kind, Get a New Bank
Don’t pay for your banking.