Friday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: Latino Credit Unions: Why They Matter, Where to Find One. Also in the news: When an airport lounge day pass is worth the splurge, helping your parents based on need instead of guilt, and why your money advisor should be a Fiduciary.

Latino Credit Unions: Why They Matter, Where to Find One
Taking care of the underserved.

When an Airport Lounge Day Pass Is Worth the Splurge
Saving your sanity.

Ask Brianna: Help Your Parents Based on Need, Not Your Guilt
Keeping emotions separate.

Make Sure Your Money Advisor is a ‘Fiduciary’
A critical qualifiication.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: How to live below your means without feeling deprived. Also in the news: How to dodge the drama of family loans, the launch of Apple Pay Cash, and using Social Security benefits to plan your retirement income.

How to Live Below Your Means Without Feeling Deprived
It doesn’t have to be a slog.

Family Loans: How to Dodge the Drama
Coping with one of the touchiest subjects.

Apple Pay Cash Launches: How It Stacks Up
A new money transfer app.

An almost perfect retirement income source
Using Social Security benefits to plan your retirement income

Monday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: A guide to dealing with debt collectors. Also in the news: Steps you can take to avoid tax identity theft, the advantages of a 30-year mortgage, and what to do when a relative hits you up for money. Tax return check

The Ultimate Guide to Debt Collectors
How to handle some of the world’s least favorite people.

4 Steps to Avoid Tax Identity Theft
Keep a close eye on your paperwork.

Why a 30-Year Mortgage Might Be Your Best Bet
The flexibility of a 30-Year could come in handy.

How to manage family asking to borrow money
What to do when Cousin Eddie hits you up for cash.

Your Social Security Benefit in 4 Easy Slides
Understanding your Social Security benefits.

Don’t pay grandson’s credit card bills

Dear Liz: I hope you can offer me some advice regarding a large credit card debt. My 28-year-old grandson is currently enrolled in college part-time and is employed. Over the last few years, he was not in school and unable to find work. He has, consequently, accumulated a total debt of $7,000 on his three credit cards. What would you advise him to do? He is paying the interest only on his debts as that is all he can afford.

Answer: Today’s minimum payments require credit card borrowers to repay a portion of principal along with the interest owed that month. If he truly is paying only interest, then he’s paying less than the minimum required and his credit scores have probably taken a big hit.

Let’s assume that he’s actually paying the minimums on his cards. He needs to increase his payments if he wants to work his way out of debt faster. That will require earning more income (by working more hours or taking a second job), cutting expenses or both.

Seven thousand dollars is not an insurmountable amount of debt, and certainly not something he should file bankruptcy over. But he may want to talk to a legitimate credit counselor about budgeting strategies or, if he’s really in a bind, a debt management plan that would allow him to pay the debt off over time at lower interest rates. He can get referrals from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at http://www.nfcc.org.

What you shouldn’t do is offer to pay this debt, even if you can. Struggling to repay this debt could teach him not to carry balances in the future. If you pay the debt, the only thing he learns is that he can count on Grandma to bail him out of his own messes.

Son-in-law badgers elderly couple for money

Dear Liz: I am 84, and my husband is 88. We have two daughters, the elder of whom is married to a very controlling man. In the past, we lent them money and were paid back. But starting in 2009 his small business began to do poorly. They borrowed nearly $100,000 from us. Then in 2010, he begged us to get a home equity loan on our home, which was paid for.

They now owe us $300,000. We make the home equity payments of $800 a month because they are not able to pay that amount. He said he planned to sell a parcel of land to pay us back. Now he wants to borrow from my individual retirement account. He is telling our daughter to go after us and what to do. So I told my daughter and her husband, no more!

We are so sad. We didn’t expect to have money problems at this age. We wanted our estate to be divided equally between our daughters. But we’re wondering if we should make a new living trust to reflect the debt owed to us. Should we consult a lawyer?

Answer: You absolutely need a lawyer. Not just to draw up a new trust but to stand between you and the financial predator you call a son-in-law.

Badgering people in their 80s for money could be considered a form of elder abuse, and the amount he’s squeezed out of you is horrific. If either of you died or became incapacitated, he could swoop in to clean you out completely.

An elder law attorney can help you protect your finances and figure out what to do about this debt. It certainly would be understandable if you wanted to deduct the money you’re owed from your elder daughter’s inheritance, but you can expect this bully to cause misery regardless of what you decide.

Not that you needed more to worry about, but what you’re calling a home equity loan may well be a home equity line of credit. Although home equity loans come with fixed rates, lines of credit do not — which means the payments that are difficult for you to make now will be more expensive when interest rates rise. In any case, you might want to ask the attorney about the feasibility of a reverse mortgage, which could allow you to pay off the loan without having to make further payments.

You can get referrals to the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys at http://www.naela.org. If your other daughter is trustworthy, please enlist her help in looking for and speaking with an attorney. She needs to know what’s going on so she can help in your efforts to protect yourselves from this man.