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millennials

Friday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Why taking Social Security early costs too much. Also in the news: Student loans still cover living costs with classes online, why you should renew your passport right now, and how millennials and Gen Z are using TikTok to learn about personal finance.

Why Taking Social Security Early Costs Too Much
Longer lifetimes make the penalty for taking Social Security early, and the reward for delaying, too high.

College Going Online? Student Loans Still Cover Living Costs
Your cost of attendance might be different if you’re learning remotely due to COVID-19.

Why you should renew your passport right now
Try to beat the long lines.

How millennials and Gen Z are using TikTok to learn about personal finance
Sharing tips they didn’t learn in school.

What to do with your stuff the kids don’t want

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Parents who are downsizing or simply decluttering may have to get creative at finding homes for all their unwanted possessions – particularly these days.

The generations that came after the baby boom are famously less interested than their predecessors in the trappings of domestic life, says Elizabeth Stewart, author of “No Thanks Mom: The Top Ten Objects Your Kids Do NOT Want (and What To Do With Them).”

Gen Xers and millennials often don’t want to polish silver or hand wash china, Stewart says. They’re also typically not interested in dark, heavy furniture, books, photo albums, vintage linens or someone else’s collections.

In my latest for the Associated Press, how to figure out what to do with it all.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Five credit card benefits you probably have but don’t know about. Also in the news: A bargain hunter’s guide to used car shopping, Millennials share their top financial regrets, and where to find free tax filing options.

Five credit card benefits you probably have but don’t know about
Don’t leave money on the table.

A Bargain Hunter’s Guide to Used Car Shopping
Avoiding the lemons.

‘I wasted so much money …’ Millennials share their top financial regrets to help Gen Z get started
Avocado toast isn’t one of them.

Get All Your Free Tax Filing Options Right Here
The delayed filing deadline is fast approaching.

When parents are the emergency fund

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Financial fallout from the pandemic is hitting millennials hard — and many will soon turn to their parents for help, if they haven’t already.

Before parents ride to the rescue, financial planners urge them to map out a strategy that doesn’t just plug a short-term need but also makes sense in the long run.

“Often the heartstrings will get pulled — ‘I really have to help them!’— but it can be detrimental to the parent,” says certified financial planner Jeffrey L. Corliss of Westport, Connecticut.

In my latest for the Associated Press, why parents must be cautious when rescuing their children financially.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Employers who chip in on your student loans. Also in the news: Six unexpected things you can find on sale on Black Friday, how to sign up for ACA health insurance for 2020, and spending tips for millennials can help anyone who would like to survive the holidays without debt.

These Employers Chip in on Your Student Loans
One of the best perks.

Six unexpected things you can find on sale on Black Friday
Look for travel deals.

How to Sign Up for ACA Health Insurance for 2020
It’s open enrollment time.

Spending tips for millennials can help anyone who would like to survive the holidays without debt
Win the holidays without going broke.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: How one family paid off $130,000 of debt in less than four years. Also in the news: The pros and cons of cash-out refinancing, the sneaky ways burnout hurts your bottom line, and how to not let your vet bill dog you forever.

How I Ditched Debt: Little Splurges on the Path to Freedom
One family’s story of paying off $130,000 in less than four years.

Cash-Out Refinance Pros and Cons
A good way to pay for home improvements.

Sneaky Ways Burnout Hurts Your Bottom Line
Millennials are struggling.

Don’t Let Your Vet Bill Dog You Forever
Taking care of your best pal.