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Retirement

Friday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Don’t let magical thinking jinx retirement. Also in the news: How to live with your first credit card’s low limit, legal complaint puts student debt relief companies in the crosshairs, and a decade after the housing crisis, foreclosures still haunt homeowners.

Don’t Let Magical Thinking Jinx Retirement Planning
Money won’t suddenly begin growing on trees.

How to Live With Your First Credit Card’s Low Limit
No, your limit isn’t missing a zero.

Legal Complaint Puts Student ‘Debt Relief’ Companies in Crosshairs, and Borrowers Can Help Make the Case
Borrowers have a way to fight back.

A decade after the housing crisis, foreclosures still haunt homeowners
Long lasting repercussions.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: How an engineer digs out of $100,000 in loans. Also in the news: What to do if Hurricane Florence hits your home and/or mortgage, 3 low-stress ways to invest for retirement, and the pros and cons of identity monitoring.

Debt Diary: How an Engineer Digs Out of $100,000 in Loans
Accounting for every single expense.

What to Do If Hurricane Florence Hits Your Home, Mortgage
Recovering from disaster.

3 Low-Stress Ways to Invest for Retirement
How to get started.

The Pros and Cons of Identity Monitoring Services
Are they worth the expense?

Friday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Don’t believe the hype about Millennials and money. Also in the news: 3 low-stress ways to invest for retirement, 4 quick financial wins in under an hour, and 10 unexpected debt traps – and how to avoid them.

Don’t Believe the Hype About Millennials and Money
Forget the avocado toast cliche.

3 Low-Stress Ways to Invest for Retirement
It doesn’t have to be stressful.

Got an Hour? Chalk Up 4 Quick Financial Wins
60 minutes well spent.

10 Unexpected Debt Traps – and How to Avoid Them
Don’t get caught in these traps.

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: How women who retire with their husbands ofter lose out. Also in the news: Why the cashless trend doesn’t have all shoppers sold, what rising DTI limits mean for your next mortgage, and how to protect your frequent flyer miles from hackers.

How Women Who Retire With Their Husbands Often Lose Out
Losing years of income.

Why the Cashless Trend Doesn’t Have All Shoppers Sold
Cash still matters.

What Rising DTI Limits Mean for Your Next Mortgage
Your debt-to-income ratio is key to mortgage approval.

Protect Your Frequent Flyer Miles from Hackers
Miles have become a hot commodity.

How women who retire with their husbands often lose out

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Women who retire when their husbands do may be giving up more wealth than they realize.

Married women overall are still in their peak earning years in their 50s and early 60s, while married men’s earnings are on the decline, says economist Nicole Maestas, an associate professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School and the author of a recent study about couples’ income and retirement patterns.

As a result, married women typically sacrifice more Social Security wealth than married men when they retire early, says Maestas, who analyzed the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Survey of more than 20,000 people 50 and older.

In my latest for the Associated Press, why women should consider staying employed longer than their husbands.

Q&A: Waiting for Social Security pays off

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Dear Liz: My husband (who will retire in January) just turned 67, but still wants to wait to collect Social Security until he turns 70 to maximize his benefit.

Should he apply for Social Security now, and immediately suspend benefits? Or, should he simply wait until he turns 70 years old to apply? Is there a difference?

Answer: There’s no need for your husband to file for benefits now. He will accrue delayed retirement credits for each month he delays filing, and those credits will add 8% a year to his benefit. Not only will that result in a larger check for him, but that could mean a larger survivor’s check for you should you outlive him.