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Thursday’s need-to-know money news

August 20, 2015 By Liz Weston

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: The Ashley Madison hack has exposed the information of over 30 million people. Also in the news: Why young people need estate planning, how being lazy costs you money, and how that generous gift from your grandparents could affect your financial aid.

Life After Ashley Madison: How to Operate in a World Without Secrets
If you’ve ever used the site, your identity is now at risk.

Young People Need Estate Planning Too
You know what they say about death and taxes.

How being lazy costs you money
Snap out of it!

Know How College Savings Gifts Can Affect Your Financial Aid Eligibility
It’s all about the FAFSA.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: Ashley Madison, bad habits, Estate Planning, FAFSA, financial aid, Identity Theft

The minus side of PLUS loans

August 13, 2015 By Liz Weston

Student-LoansParent education loans can help your child attend the college of her dreams — and sink any dreams you had of ever retiring.

The grim reality is that the federal PLUS loan program allows parents to borrow far more than they can comfortably, or even ever, repay.

In my column for Reuters, I explain why the easy lending practices of PLUS loans can lead to a lifetime of debt.

In DailyWorth, I do a little mythbusting of “good” credit habits that are actually bad for you.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: bad credit habits, financial aid, financial bullies, PLUS loans

Social Security’s divorce and survivors benefits for same-sex married couples

July 23, 2015 By Liz Weston

gay-marriage-cake-toppers-485x320Same-sex marriage has been legal long enough in a couple of U.S. states that its pioneers may qualify for Social Security benefits even if they divorce.

Marriages that last at least 10 years before they end qualify the participants for both spousal and survivor benefits from Social Security. Spousal benefits equal up to half the benefit a spouse or ex-spouse has earned, while survivors benefits typically are equal to what the spouse or ex-spouse was receiving at death.

More information on the benefits available to same-sex married couples can be found in my column for Bankrate.

Also on Bankrate, I answer a reader’s question about using her 401(k) account to delay taking Social Security benefits. And on Reuters, I take a look at why parents are spending more and worrying less about college.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: 401(k), college, financial aid, same sex marriage, Social Security

Q&A: Co-signing student loans

July 20, 2015 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: I have two kids heading to college. Both need co-signers for their student loans. Will me co-signing have a negative effect on my credit? The kids have no choice. I’m middle class, having made enough to get myself by as a divorcee, but there’s no college savings. To make matters worse, I make just over the base for them to get a Pell Grant. I’m concerned about my credit, but my kids need to go to college.

Answer: Your children probably do need to go to college if they want to maintain a middle-class lifestyle in the 21st century. They probably don’t need to finance that education with private student loans, which are the kind that require a co-signer.

Co-signing means the loans show up on your credit reports. Your credit scores can be trashed if your children miss a single payment. If they stop paying, the lender will come after you for the balance.

Federal student loans are a much better option. They have fixed rates, numerous repayment options and the possibility of forgiveness.

Private student loans typically have none of those attributes. Quite the opposite: There are horror stories of private lenders that refused to forgive the balance of borrowers who died, leaving co-signers on the hook.

The big problem with federal student loans is that the amount your children can borrow is limited.

A first-year student typically can borrow just $5,500 and usually no more than $31,000 for an undergraduate degree. The average net cost of a public four-year university — the sticker price for tuition, fees, room and board minus grants and scholarships — was just under $13,000 in 2014-15.

That leaves a fairly substantial gap to cover, especially with no savings and two children.

If you can’t cover the gap out of your current income, your family needs to consider some options. Finding more generous colleges might be one.

Institutions vary tremendously in their willingness to meet families’ financial need. While few meet 100% of a typical student’s need, the more generous shoot for 90% or more. Some meet less than 70%. (You can find these need statistics, and many others, at the College Board’s Big Future site, at http://bigfuture.collegeboard.org.)

You also could consider a couple of years at a community college. There are some one- and two-year technical degrees, typically in the health and science fields that pay more than the average four-year degree.

Or your children could attend community college to get some requirements out of the way cheaply before transferring to a four-year school, but be aware that the dropout rate at two-year schools is high, even for students who start fully intending to complete a bachelor’s degree.

Another option is for you to borrow, but you shouldn’t consider doing so unless you’re saving adequately for retirement and can continue to do so while paying off the loans. Federal PLUS loans offer fixed rates, but if you can pay the loan off quickly, a home equity loan or line of credit may be a less expensive option.

Filed Under: Q&A, Student Loans Tagged With: financial aid, q&a, Student Loans

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

July 14, 2015 By Liz Weston

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: What happens if you get caught lying on your FAFSA? Also in the news: Why your financial life is a mess, which interest rate you should choose, and the credit score every small business owner should understand.

What Happens If You Lie on Your FAFSA?
Resist the temptation.

Fixed or Variable: Which Interest Rate Should You Choose?
Which interest rate is best for you?

The Credit Score Every Small Business Owner Needs to Understand
Introducing the FICO SBSS.

Top Seven Reasons Why Your Financial Life Is A Mess
Getting your financial house in order.

If You Won’t Remember Something in a Week, Don’t Buy It
Smart advice.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: budgets, Credit Score, FAFSA, financial aid, interest rates, small business, spending, tips

Don’t pay for student loan help

May 19, 2015 By Liz Weston

Customer Support liarI just got another recorded call from a woman who cheerfully told me that my student loans had been “flagged” to qualify for a new federal program, just approved by Congress, to help me pay my debt. The fact that I’ve never had a student loan is, surely, just a minor detail.

People fall for these scams all the time, paying good money to get help they could have found for free. Right now, there’s a free student loan hotline you can call to get your questions answered and find out about your options. It’s available today, tomorrow and Thursday from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. Eastern. Check it out at The Borrowers Hotline.

If you miss the hotline window, you can find answers to your questions at the U.S. Department of Education and at Student Loan Borrower Assistance, a site run by the National Consumer Law Center.

 

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: federal student loans, financial aid, loan repayment, private student loans, student debt, Student Loan Borrower Assistance, student loan scams, Student Loans, The Borrowers Hotline, U.S. Department of Education

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