Detroit has become such a complicated financial mess – with its pension problems and the city’s bankruptcy filing – that many people don’t fully understand the nuts and bolts of the situation. Even more important: a lot of Americans are wondering: Could what happened in Detroit happen to me? Could I lose my pension? The short answer […]
Could You Lose Your Pension? Lessons From Detroit Read More »
Some credit score mistakes can be real credit killers. You might not think that seemingly innocent actions can cause your FICO score to plunge, but that can certainly happen. Here are two horrible credit mistakes you want to avoid at all costs – unless you want to send your credit score heading south. Watch this
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In a previous column on planning for retirement, I explained the first 11 risks of 20 things that can ruin your retirement. That prior article highlighted a variety of investment risks, risks of outliving one’s resources, and risks associated with aging. As a follow-up to that guidance, below is the remaining list of 20 things
20 Things That Can Ruin Your Retirement – Part II Read More »
Planning for retirement often takes a backseat to today’s concerns – whether it’s paying current bills, dealing with immediate family issues or just trying to keep up with the Joneses. That’s why numerous studies show that most Americans are ill prepared for retirement: Many people in the U.S. have more credit card debt than savings.
20 Things That Can Ruin Your Retirement – Part I Read More »
Are you worried about an ex spouse or soon-to-be ex ruining your credit? Unfortunately, in the aftermath of divorce, financial sabotage — whether intentional or accidental — is all too common. One of the worst financial hits you can take is when your credit gets ruined by your previous mate. Here’s what you need to
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Spending a few days at a theme park could be just what you need to break away from the daily grind and enjoy some fun activities with friends and family members. Here are some ways to save money on tickets to America’s most-visited theme parks and attractions:
How to Save Money on Tickets to America’s Top Theme Parks Read More »
Do you constantly blow your budget month after month no matter how hard you try to stick to it? You’ve accounted for housing, utilities, groceries, dry cleaning, etc. But for some reason, you keep failing to meet your budget goals. You might think you blew your budget because of an unexpected expense like an
Video: Don’t Blow Your Budget by Overlooking This One Item Read More »
If you’re planning to buy a home or see a loan in the near future, or you just want to maintain good credit to improve your financial health, you need to start paying attention to your FICO credit scores. Although you probably think of yourself as having a single FICO credit score, you actually have
Easy Ways to Improve Your FICO Credit Scores Read More »
It’s no fun to deal with your kids if they’re constantly yelling “I’m bored!” during the times they’re on a school break. Some parents and families may take trips to Florida or even out of the country over Spring Break, the Winter holiday season or during the summer. But if you can’t afford such a
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Have you ever had a great idea and wondered if you could make money off of it? Enough money to maybe one day quit your current, full time job? Before you start daydreaming about creating your own, “I Quit” YouTube video, there are some things you’ll have to do before your side-hustle can become your main
How to Run Your Side-Hustle on a Shoestring Budget Read More »
If you missed my interview on the Melissa Harris-Perry show last weekend, I was on a panel – along with Connie Razza, Arun Gupta and Karen Friedman – that discussed Detroit’s pension funds as the city struggles with bankruptcy and the growing retirement savings crisis nationwide.
Video – Melissa Harris-Perry Show: Is Your Pension at Risk? Read More »
The IRS says that millions of people have become victims of con artists that have used the victim’s social security numbers to file taxes. Once the scammers file taxes, they turn around and collect tax refunds from the government. Meanwhile, not only has the victim’s identity been stolen, they are also out of luck (at
Did Someone Use Your Social Security Number to File Taxes? Here’s What to do Read More »
The IRS says U.S. taxpayers spend an average of 13 hours reading up on tax rules, gathering paperwork, and filling out their tax forms. And let’s not forget, of course, that taxes are a big expense for most Americans. In fact, the typical U.S. family pays more than a third of its income in taxes,
New Tax Tools to Save Money and Time Read More »
Keeping tabs on your credit score is a great way to help maintain good credit health. So people with Capital One credit cards will be happy to know that starting very soon, the bank will roll out free credit scores and a suite of credit-education tools. The new offering is called Credit Tracker, and it
Capital One Rolls Out Credit Tracker, Free Credit Scores for Customers Read More »
When your credit is less than perfect, you may think you have no loan options. In reality, many subprime lenders will offer you credit or loans for products like credit cards, student loans, and even mortgages. However, a subprime loan will be usually be offered at a higher interest rate. Here’s what you need to
Video: How to Find a Subprime Lender Read More »
