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financial aid

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

February 3, 2016 By Liz Weston

r218451_854528Today’s top story: How to keep calm and carry on in a volatile market. Also in the news: Why paying off your debt could hurt your mortgage chances, what the Super Bowl can teach you about money, and how your 2015 IRA contribution can hurt 2016-2017 college aid.

5 Ways to Keep Calm, Carry On in Volatile Market
Don’t panic.

Why Paying Off Debt Could Actually Hurt Your Homebuying Chances
Strategic debt management.

What the Super Bowl Can Teach You About Money
The game off the field.

Your 2015 IRA Contribution Will Hurt Your Kid’s College Aid In 2016-2017
Find out how.

What to Do When You’ve Hit a Plateau With Your Money Goals
How to break through.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: debt, financial aid, IRA contributions, mortgages, stock market, super bowl, tips

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

January 27, 2016 By Liz Weston

Credit report with score on a desk
Credit report with score on a desk
Today’s top story: Why students missed out on nearly $3 billion dollars in financial aid. Also in the news: Things on your credit report that look like errors, but might not be, how to protect your loved ones from financial elder abuse, and how to protect inherited IRA assets from creditors via a trust.

3 Things on Your Credit Report That Look Like Errors, But Might Not Be
Analyzing your report.

Why students missed out on $2.7 billion in financial aid last year
The FAFSA is essential.

How to Protect Your Loved Ones (and Yourself) From Financial Elder Abuse
Protecting their assets.

Protect Inherited IRA Assets From Creditors With a Trust
Keeping your inheritance.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: Credit, credit report, credit report errors, elder abuse, financial aid, IRA assets

Friday’s need-to-know money news

January 22, 2016 By Liz Weston

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: How to get your credit card’s annual fee to pay for itself. Also in the news: Balancing debt reduction and retirement savings, money lessons to teach your kids, and why you should check your FAFSA status.

How to Get Your Credit Card’s Annual Fee to Pay for Itself
Getting the most out of your credit card.

How to Balance Debt Reduction and Retirement Savings
You can do both.

4 Money Lessons Smart Parents Teach Their Kids
It’s never too early to start teaching them.

How and Why to Check Your FAFSA Status
Staying on top of the financial aid process.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: annual fees, Credit Cards, debt reduction, FAFSA, financial aid, kids and money, retirement savings, Student Loans, tips

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

January 21, 2016 By Liz Weston

321562-data-breachesToday’s top story: The worst online passwords of 2015. Also in the news: Why you should beware of the word “afford,” how to start saving for your retirement in your 20s and 30s, and steps to get more college financial aid.

The Worst Passwords of 2015
Stop making life easy for identity thieves.

Be Suspicious of the Word “Afford” to Keep Your Budget Balanced
Just because you can afford it doesn’t mean you should buy it.

6 Steps to Saving for Retirement in Your 20s and 30s
It’s never too early to start saving.

3 Steps to More College Financial Aid From FAFSA
The sooner you fill out the form, the better.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: budgets, FAFSA, financial aid, Identity Theft, Retirement, retirement savings, Student Loans, tips

Friday’s need-to-know money news

January 15, 2016 By Liz Weston

images (2)Today’s top story: How to make your retirement savings last. Also in the news: Why it pays to file your FAFSA early, how to survive rising health care costs, and how the Rule of 72 can help you build your retirement savings.

The Easy Way to Make Your Retirement Savings Last
Stretching your savings.

It Pays to File Your FAFSA Early
You could receive twice as much financial aid.

10 Ways to Survive Rising Health Care Costs
Keeping costs in check.

How the Rule of 72 Can Help You Build Up Your Retirement Nest Egg
Building your savings.

Is a FICO Score the Best Credit Score?
Does your FICO score tell the whole story?

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: FAFSA, financial aid, health care costs, Retirement, retirement savings, Rule of 72, tips

Q&A: College savings strategy

December 28, 2015 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: I will be 66 in May 2016. My wife is 68 and retired. She began receiving Social Security when she turned 66. I am still working, making a high six-figure income, and will continue to do so until I reach 70, when my Social Security benefit reaches its maximum. I plan to use my Social Security earnings to save for my grandchildren’s college educations (unless an emergency occurs and we need the income). I want to maximize the amount that I can give them. What is the best strategy, taking into consideration the recent change in Social Security rules relating to “claim now, claim more later”?

Answer: You just missed the April 29 cutoff for being able to “file and suspend.” Before the rules changed, you could have filed your application at full retirement age (66) and immediately suspended it. That would allow your benefit to continue growing while giving you the option to change your mind and get a lump-sum payout dating back to your application date.

Since Congress did away with file-and-suspend for people who turn 66 after April 30, that option is off the table for you. There are other ways to maximize your household benefit, said economist Laurence Kotlikoff, author of “Get What’s Yours: The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security.” They include:

•Your wife suspends her benefit and lets it grow for another two years, then restarts getting checks when she turns 70.

•At 66, you file for a spousal benefit. People who are 62 or older by the end of this year retain the ability to file a “restricted application” for spousal benefits only once they turn 66. That option is not available to younger people, who will be given the larger of their spousal benefits or their own benefits when they apply.

•At 70, you switch to your own, maxed-out benefit. Again, the ability to switch from spousal to one’s own benefit is going away, but you still have the option to do this.

Consider saving in a 529 college savings plan, which offers tax advantages while allowing you to retain control of the money. You can even withdraw the money for your own use if necessary, although you would pay income taxes and a 10% federal penalty on any earnings.

You should know, however, that college-savings plans owned by grandparents can mess with financial aid. Plans owned by grandparents aren’t factored into initial financial aid calculations, but any disbursements are counted as income that can negatively affect future awards. One workaround is to wait until Jan. 1 of the child’s junior year, when financial aid forms will no longer be a consideration, and pay for all qualified education expenses from that point on.

Obviously, you won’t have to worry about this if your grandchildren wouldn’t qualify for financial aid anyway. If your children also make six-figure incomes, that’s likely to be the case.

Filed Under: College Savings, Q&A, Retirement, Student Loans Tagged With: college tuition, financial aid, q&a, Social Security

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