Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

Equifax Creates Consumer Website to Help Americans Deal With ID Theft

Identity Theft / Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach / Equifax, tax identity theft

When one of my sisters recently tried to file her taxes ahead of the April 15th tax-deadline, she got a nasty surprise from her accountant: the IRS rejected my sister’s tax return because someone had already illegally used her child’s social security number. Unfortunately, identity theft knows no age boundaries, and increasingly crooks that steal […]

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Here’s Why Having Insurance Is More Important Than You Think

Insurance / Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

Among all the things on your financial checklist, of all the financial planning topics that you know you need to tackle, insurance is probably one of the least favored and least likely to get done. Let’s face it. Insurance just isn’t a very sexy, financial topic. Most people don’t want to think about their need for insurance

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financial help for couples - askthemoneycoach.com

How to Stop Secret Spending

Couples and Money / Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach / financial infidelity, financial issues

Are you guilty of financial infidelity? Many couples find it difficult to talk about money matters and might even fight about finances regularly. If you share bank and credit card accounts with your significant other, do you review your statements together regularly, or do you end up trying to hide your purchases and spending habits?

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New $100 Bill To Soon Go Into Circulation

Personal Finance / Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach / new $100 bill, redesigned $100 bill

I remember when P. Diddy sang: “It’s all about the Benjamins, baby!” Well, apparently the feds agree, because the government is releasing a re-designed, new $100 bill starting Oct. 8, 2013.

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5 Ways to Evaluate and Get the Best Credit Card Deals

Credit Cards / Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach / annual fees, balance transfer offers

With scores of different types of credit cards out there, how do you find the best deal? Needless to say, it pays to already have good credit in order to get a good credit card offer. But finding an attractive credit card goes beyond simply having excellent credit. Since the credit-card industry is so competitive,

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A smiling person proudly holds their first credit card while sitting in front of an open laptop.

What Is a Good First Credit Card for a Young Adult?

Credit Cards / Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach / card to build credit, secured credit cards

Having a credit card – or even a couple of credit cards – isn’t always a bad thing for young adults, provided they learn about credit management and use credit wisely.

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A worried woman holds her head with one hand and looks at several credit cards in her other, contemplating how to consolidate credit card debt.

4 Things To Consider Before You Consolidate Credit Card Debt

Debt / Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach / credit card debt, debt consolidation

One of the primary reasons why people choose to consolidate credit card debt is to reduce their interest payments and also reduce their overall monthly payments. Just like a regular loan consolidation program, a credit card debt consolidation program can help to lower monthly payments to free up some cash in your budget each month.

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Student Loan Discharge Due to False Certification Explained

Student Loans / Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach / false certification, student loan discharge, student loan eligibility

Q: I did not have a high school diploma or a GED when I enrolled in college. Am I responsible for my student loans? A: Before a college provides you with a student loan, that institution is supposed to make sure that you have an “ability to benefit” from its educational curriculum. One way for a

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How to Dispute a Credit Card Purchase

Credit Cards / Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach / defective merchandise, purchase dispute, The Fair Credit Billing Act

After a day of shopping for new furniture at the furniture store, you come home to find that one of the tables is chipped or cracked. Or maybe you just bought a gift item from a retail store only to later find that a part of it is scratched or broken. If you made the

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What to Do If You Are Charged the Wrong Amount for a Student Loan

Student Loans / Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach / student loan balance, student loan payments

If you’ve applied for multiple student loans and have several balances, your payments may be mistakenly credited to the wrong account at any given time. Keep in mind that interest accrues on each balance and is posted to different accounts at different times of the month, depending on the billing cycle.

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How to Increase Your Credit Score While Still in School

Credit Scores / Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach / FICO score

A reader of AskTheMoneyCoach.com wanted to know how to increase her credit score while she is still in school. She wrote me saying: “Hello, Lynnette. I’m a 60‑year‑old woman who has returned to school. I’ve taken out federal loans in the amount of $8,000. The loans have been deferred for as long as I remain in

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10 Practical Tips to Prepare to Buy a Home This Year

Real Estate / Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach / buying a home, Homeownership

Prospective homeowners often ask me what they can do to buy a home – and get into the house of their dreams quickly. Frankly, not everyone should buy a house. There are lots of rights and responsibilities that go along with homeownership. And as I explain in my book, Your First Home, if you’re not

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A Message For Those Deep in Debt or Facing Money Problems

Debt / Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach / Don't Quit Poem

Life can be so challenging — especially when you’re trying to better manage your finances, get out of debt, raise children or build a career. Perhaps you’re currently doing all of these things simultaneously. Everyone experiences financial setbacks from time to time. But many of us do not know how to cope with our financial

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Close-up of a pencil pointing to the label section on a 1040 U.S. individual income tax return form, highlighting the importance of avoiding tax mistakes.

Don’t Make These 10 Last-Minute Tax Mistakes

Taxes / Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach / tax mistakes

You’re probably somewhat stressed if you’re in the throws of finishing your federal income tax return. After all, Monday, April 15, 2013 is the tax-filing deadline to get that 1040 for the 2012 tax year shipped off to Uncle Sam. But just because you’re under time constraints doesn’t mean the IRS is going to give

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Close-up image of an adoption request form with a pencil placed diagonally across the top, hinting at the financial benefits and processes involved, including the adoption tax credit.

Tax Tips: 10 Things to Know About the Adoption Tax Credit

Taxes / Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach / adoption tax credit, IRS Form 8839

In a previous article I explained one of the most important personal tax credits offered to U.S. taxpayers, the adoption tax credit. If you’ve recently adopted a child, you may be eligible for an healthy tax savings, courtesy of the federal government. That’s because Uncle Sam recognizes that adopting a child serves the public good.

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Author name: Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach