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Monday’s need-to-know money news

December 6, 2021 By Liz Weston

Today’s top story: Cash back, miles, or…wine? Credit card rewards are evolving. Also in the news: A new episode of the Smart Money podcast on why you should question your bills and how to make the most of a raise, Medicare’s telehealth experiment could be here to stay, and the best way to ask for a cost-of-living increase.

Cash Back, Miles or … Wine? Credit Card Rewards Are Evolving
If cash back and travel feel blah, a new crop of credit cards will reward you in different ways.

Smart Money Podcast: Why to Question Your Bills, and Making the Most of a Raise

Medicare’s Telehealth Experiment Could Be Here to Stay
An astronomical increase in telehealth visits by Medicare beneficiaries in 2020 could prompt a reshaping of post-pandemic rules.

The Best Way to Ask for a Cost-of-Living Raise
Inflation rates are the highest they’ve been in 30 years.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: bills, cost-of-living raise, credit card rewards, Medicare, raises, Smart Money podcast, telehealth

Friday’s need-to-know money news

August 14, 2020 By Liz Weston

Today’s top story: Money moves to help you feel more in control. Also in the news: How to renegotiate your bills to save money, ways for renters to cope in the financial crisis, and how to protect yourself before your federal student loan servicer changes.

Feeling Out of Control? These Money Moves Could Help
Regain control by revising spending, boosting savings and focusing on daily actions instead of long-term outcomes.

How to Renegotiate Your Bills to Save Money

Renters at Risk: Ways to Cope in the Financial Crisis

Protect Yourself Before Your Federal Student Loan Servicer Changes

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: bills, federal student loans, money moves, pandemic, renegotiation, rentals, renters, Student Loans, tips

Q&A: Here’s why taking money from retirement accounts to pay bills is dumb

April 20, 2020 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: I do not qualify for a coronavirus hardship withdrawal, but I have debt on several credit cards with interest rates above 23%. In 2019, I paid nearly $2,500 in interest charges. I would like to remove $10,000 from my IRA and use it to pay off the debt. I would then put the money that would normally go toward the credit card debt ($500 a month) to pay back the IRA. Would this repayment mitigate some of my tax charges from the withdrawal, and how long do I have to replace the funds, if any?

Answer: Coronavirus hardship withdrawals are available to a large group of people, including those who have lost their jobs or suffered other financial setbacks because of the pandemic, as well as people actually diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Coronavirus hardship withdrawals allow people to take out up to $100,000 from individual retirement accounts or 401(k)s without paying early withdrawal penalties or facing mandatory withholding. Income taxes must be paid on the withdrawal, but that bill can be spread over three years.

People who take such withdrawals would have the option of putting the money back within three years. If they can repay the money, they could amend their previous tax returns to get a refund of the taxes they paid on them.

If you don’t qualify for a coronavirus hardship withdrawal, then the rules on taking money from your IRA haven’t changed. You cannot take a loan from an IRA, and any money you withdrew would have to be returned to a qualifying retirement account within 60 days or it’s considered a withdrawal.

You would have to pay income taxes on the withdrawal, plus the 10% federal penalty if you’re under 59½. Most states also tax and penalize such withdrawals.

Even if you could qualify for a coronavirus hardship withdrawal, though, it would be a bad idea to raid your retirement account to pay credit card bills.

Not only is the tax cost high, but you’re also losing the future tax-deferred returns that money could have earned. A $10,000 withdrawal now could mean $100,000 less in retirement funds 30 years from now.

Also, you shouldn’t use an asset that would be protected from creditors to pay debts that could otherwise be erased in case you have to file for bankruptcy.

Too many people drain their 401(k)s and IRAs trying to pay their bills, only to find out too late that their retirement accounts are protected in bankruptcy. Meanwhile, the bills — including credit card balances, medical bills and most other unsecured debts — could have been wiped out.

If you can make your credit card payments but want to reduce your interest costs, you could consider a personal loan to consolidate your debt if your credit is good. If your credit is not good or you are struggling financially, you could contact a credit counselor about a debt management plan that would allow you to pay off your cards over time at lower rates.

You can get referrals from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

Another option for people struggling to pay off their credit card debt is to ask the issuers about hardship programs. Many are willing to offer forbearance, which allows cardholders to skip payments, or to temporarily reduce required payments.

If you’re struggling, though, you also should make an appointment with a bankruptcy attorney about your options. You can get referrals from the National Assn. of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.

Filed Under: Q&A, Retirement, Saving Money Tagged With: bills, q&a, retirement savings

9 bills where you can cut a better deal

March 8, 2017 By Liz Weston

The word “bills” used to be synonymous with “fixed expenses.” But there’s nothing fixed about many of the bills a typical household pays today.

Some bills have introductory rates that expire, shooting monthly costs skyward. Others offer secret discounts or upgrades to those in the know. Providers constantly tweak their plans and pricing, which means long-term customers can overpay by hundreds of dollars a year.

In my latest for the Associated Press, a look at 9 bills where you can negotiate a better deal.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: bills, monthly expenses, negotiating

How to Pay Bills When You Can’t Pay Your Bills

March 15, 2016 By Liz Weston

stack-of-billsWhen Bruce McClary was a housing counselor, his clients regularly showed up for appointments with grocery bags full of unopened bills.

“It wasn’t unusual. They couldn’t pay the bills, so they didn’t open them,” says McClary, who now works in public relations for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

Ignoring bills seems to work — at least for a while. The repo man typically won’t take your car if you’re a little late with your payment (although he can). Credit card companies and student lenders may start to call, but you can always send them to voicemail. Foreclosures can take months, if not years, depending on where you live.

In my latest for NerdWallet, how to put a plan together when the money you have just isn’t enough.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: bill payments, bills, debt collectors, tips

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

November 17, 2015 By Liz Weston

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: How to get fired up about saving money. Also in the news: How much you should be saving for the holidays, using “bill fixers” to negotiate lower rates, and the top beliefs that are keeping you broke.

4 Ways to Get Yourself Fired Up About Saving Money
Keeping yourself motivated.

How Much Should You Save Up for Christmas?
Budgeting tips to keep your holiday spending under control.

Should You Use a Third Party to Negotiate Your Cable Bill?
Welcome to the world of “bill fixers.”

Top 7 Beliefs Keeping You Broke
What’s holding you back from better money habits?

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: bill fixers, bills, money habits, saving money. holiday shopping, tips

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