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Get smart with your money

Retirement

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.

Your house isn’t a piggy bank

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Your home equity could keep you afloat in retirement or bail you out in an emergency — but not if you spend it first.

U.S. homeowners are sitting on nearly $6 trillion of home value they could tap as of May 2018, according to data provider Black Knight. Lenders are eager to help many do just that through home equity loans, home equity lines of credit and cash-out refinancing.

The rates are often lower than other kinds of borrowing, and the interest may still be deductible, despite last year’s tax reform changes. But you can lose your home to foreclosure if you can’t pay back the loan, which is why financial planners generally frown on using equity for luxuries, investing or consolidating credit card debt.

Many planners point to the foreclosure crisis that started a decade ago as an example of what can go wrong when people binge on home equity debt.

In my latest for the Associated Press, why it’s dangerous to treat your house like a piggy bank.

Friday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: How couples with kids retired early. Also in the news: 5 credit card tips to take to college and beyond, how a self-taught baker became a rising entrepreneur, and what not to do when hiring a lawyer.

How They Retired Decades Early — With Kids
How two families pulled it off.

5 Credit Card Habits to Take to College and Beyond
Track your spending.

How a Self-Taught Baker Became a Rising Entrepreneur
Feel inspired.

What Not to Do When Hiring a Lawyer
Save on fees when avoiding these mistakes.

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Understanding what colleges are looking for. Also in the news: How a self-taught baker became a rising entrepreneur, 3 credit score myths you should stop believing, and what to do when you’re worried you’re going to retire broke.

What Do Colleges Want? It’s Hiding in Plain Sight
Diving into the data.

How a Self-Taught Baker Became a Rising Entrepreneur
Keiyana Roberts is getting it done.

3 Credit Score Myths You Should Stop Believing
Busting credit score myths.

Worried you’re going to retire broke? Help could be closer than you think
Finding help at work.