Thursday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: Identity theft risks for holiday shoppers. Also in the news: 5 guidelines for happier holiday tipping, what to buy (and skip) in December, and how to balance your short-term and long-term financial goals.

Holiday Shoppers, Beware of These 3 Identity Theft Risks
Protect yourself.

5 Guidelines for Happier Holiday Tipping
Saying thanks.

What to Buy (and Skip) in December
Hold off on that TV.

How to Balance Your Short- and Long-Term Financial Goals
Your short-term goals should feed your long-term goals.

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: 5 guidelines for happier holiday tipping. Also in the news: Money talk for young boys, how to save $500, and how to survive an insurance elimination period.

5 Guidelines for Happier Holiday Tipping
Some guidelines that may help you decide whom to tip, and how.

Dear Young Boys: Let’s Talk About Money
Especially investing.

How to Save $500
It’s about more than just skipping coffee.

How to Survive an Insurance Elimination Period
Making ends meet while waiting for an insurance payment.

5 guidelines for holiday tipping

Holiday tips are a way to thank the people who make your life easier. So why is it so hard to figure out whom to tip and how much?

Guides published by etiquette experts don’t always agree on what’s appropriate. What people actually do is another matter altogether.

Only about half of Americans give any holiday tips, according to a recent Consumer Reports survey, and those who do tip often give less than the amounts recommended by etiquette experts. For example, 56 percent of those who had housekeepers gave them a tip, and the median amount was $50. The manners mavens at the Emily Post Institute suggests the tip equal the cost of one visit, which according to HomeAdvisor averages at $167.

In my latest for the Associated Press, some guidelines that may help you decide whom to tip, and how.

Monday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: 5 ways to reduce credit card interest. Also in the news: Holiday hosting tips to be safe, holiday tipping guide, and the pros and cons of using debit vs. credit cards.

5 Ways to Reduce Credit Card Interest
Escaping the interest trap.

Holiday Hosting Tips to Be Safe, Insurance If You’re Sorry
What’s covered under your homeowner’s insurance.

Holiday Tipping Guide: Whom and How Much
Showing appreciation.

Pros and Cons of Using Debit Vs. Credit Cards
Differences to keep in mind.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

holiday-tipping-dont-let-it-wipe-you-outToday’s top story: Tips to save more for retirement in 2017. Also in the news: Why the key to saving may be in your head, why skipping a payment at the holidays is a bad idea, and a guide to holiday tipping.

Retirement Anxiety? 3 Tips to Save More in 2017
Starting the new year off on the right foot.

The Key to Saving May Be in Your Head
Time to look inward.

Skip a Payment? Those Offers Are No Holiday for Your Budget
Reading the fine print.

Tips on Holiday Tipping
Who and how much?

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: The pros and cons of e-gift cards. Also in the news: Why you’re likely to pay more for auto insurance in 2016, why couples should tackle estate planning now, and a guide to holiday tipping.

Are E-Gift Cards Safe? Here’s What to Know
Making holiday shopping easier.

Here’s Why Your Auto Insurance Will Likely Cost More Next Year
Get ready for higher rates.

5 Ways Couples Can Tackle Estate Planning Now
Don’t put it off.

How Big a Tip to Give for the Holidays
Who should get what.

Holiday tipping: what you really need to know

Holiday tipsWriting about holiday tipping for MSN was always a bit fraught, mostly because a fair number of people every year seemed to think I invented the practice–and resented me deeply for it.

Here’s the scoop, per the Emily Post Institute: Holiday tipping exists. It’s a thing, in every region of the country. Who you tip and how much varies by your situation, your budget and where you live (“Tipping averages tend to be higher in big cities,” the Post Institute advises.)

In the Weston household, we tip the people who make our lives easier throughout the year who aren’t regularly tipped at the time of service. That includes newspaper deliverers (yes, we still have those), the mow-and-blow guys (called “gardeners” elsewhere), our house-sitter and our cleaning lady. The tips generally equal the cost of one week’s service, with something extra for the folks who have been with us a long time.

I’d feel pretty weird about not tipping them, to be honest. If I can afford to pay for their services throughout the year, I can certainly come up with a little “thank you” at year’s end.

If your budget really can’t accommodate cash tips, the Post Institute says it’s okay to substitute a handmade gift or (at the very least) a handwritten note of thanks. It’s all about taking a minute to say “I appreciate you.”

But nothing says that quite like cash.