Ask Liz Weston

Get smart with your money

Student Loans

Monday’s need-to-know money news

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Passenger airplane landing on runway in airport.Wedding bells and tax deductions are ringing, using credit cards to pay off student loans, and how to avoid having your identity stolen while on vacation.

Tax Deductions Available for Your Wedding
Could tax deductions be the best wedding gift ever?

Should You Use Credit Card Rewards to Pay Auto, Student Loans?
Cash-back rewards for paying auto and student loans are on the way.

Pre-College Conversations: When to Step in Over Money Matters
When to get involved in your child’s finances.

Do You Have What It Takes to Work From Home?
Working in your pajamas may sound like fun, but it actually requires a lot of discipline.

Vacation is No Time to Abandon Financial Caution
Identity thieves love to prey on tourists.

Friday’s need-to-know money news

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Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailHow your credit score could impact your child’s’ student loan, the best cars to keep young drivers safe, and where to expect the worst possible customer service.

How Credit Scores Impact Some Student Loan Approvals
How the credit scores of both you and your co-signer could affect your interest rates.

The 10 Best Cars for Young Drivers
Keeping your child safe and your sanity intact as they take to the road.

The Worst Industries for Customer Service
Surprise! The industries with the most one-on-one contact fared the worst.

The Tax Break You’re Missing Out On
Your retirement fund could save you money.

9 Surprising Customer Protests
From Disney dolls to selling bunnies on Easter, these items sent customers over the edge.

Friday’s need-to-know money news

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RelationshipDetermining credit worthiness, how money problems distract workers, how to develop good financial habits, and what to do when you have student loans from multiple lenders.

The Non-Credit Score Numbers Your Lender Wants to Know
Looking beyond your credit score to determine your credit worthiness.

Personal Finance Problems Distract Workers
Stress over finances can cause a loss of productivity.

Finance Tips for 20-Somethings
How to get and stay on a secure financial track.

13 Happy Events That Need a Financial Plan
Graduation, marriage and parenthood are just some of life’s celebrations that need financial planning.

Get Schooled on Student Loan Consolidation Rights
Find out what options you have when it comes to multiple loans.

How to deal with your debt

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Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailDebt may be a four-letter word, but it’s not necessarily the enemy. Some debts are much, much worse than others, and knowing which to tackle first can leave you richer.

That’s the central idea of my book “Deal with Your Debt,” and I go into more detail in this interview with Experian’s Mike Delgado. (Also, you’ll get a great view of one of our bedrooms…I couldn’t get my laptop to cooperate with Google Hangout, so I had to resort to the desktop.)

We covered a bunch of topics, including:

  • What you need to know about getting, and paying off, student loans
  • Why retirement has to be your top financial goal (yes, even ahead of paying off debt)
  • What debts to tackle first and
  • When to consider filing for bankruptcy

…and much more.

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

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HomeInheriting Grandma’s frequent-flier miles, how to pay less for homeowner’s insurance, and what you need to know about rising interest rates.

How Student Loans Can Hurt Your Mortgage Application
Those pesky student loans can reduce your ability to borrow money.

Can You Inherit or Transfer Your Frequent-Flier Miles?
What happens to Grandma’s miles after she takes her final flight?

How to Reduce Your Home Insurance Costs
Home insurance doesn’t have to break the bank.

The Best Children’s Books for Money Lessons
It’s never too early to start teaching kids how to manage their money.

5 Things to Know About Rising Interest Rates
How to navigate the new lending environment.

In case you missed it: the youth edition

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Cut up cardsSpurning credit cards means younger people have less toxic debt but they may be doing inadvertent damage to their credit scores and costing themselves money. Learn more in “Why young people hate credit cards.”

Read some smart answers to the awkward questions your kids may ask about family finances in “One way money is a lot like sex.”

You’ve probably read that student loan rates doubled on Monday, but that’s not quite true. Read “Student loan rates: Facts amid the fictions” for the straight scoop.

Have a great weekend!