We cover the basics and more about personal finance, answering frequently asked questions about credit and debt, identity theft, saving for college, retirement, estate planning, insurance, taxes, job hunting, and raising money-savvy kids. Check out the articles, columns, blog posts, radio shows and videos for tons of personal finance advice.
Commercial Property Won’t Sell
Commercial Property Won't Sell Owner doesn't know if he can give it away or simply abandon his building Q: I own a commercial property that I no longer want to own. The market value of this property is zero as there are many abandoned properties nearby. The real estate taxes are astronomically high for a [...]
Trust Distribution Held Up
Trust Distribution Held Up Q: I was told I am a beneficiary of my sister's trust. She owned a home and other assets. Her son is the trustee but we don’t have a good relationship. I have been waiting for my distribution for several months. I have called several times and each time I [...]
Trusts Need Their Own Checking Accounts
Trusts Need Their Own Checking Accounts Q: I read your recent article about how to put a home with a mortgage into a trust. I agree with your advice, but as the daughter who had to deal with the sale of my mother’s home that was held in her trust, there is one further [...]
Empty Trusts: How to Retitle A Mortgaged Home
Empty Trusts: Estate Planning Mistake #1 Q: I created a revocable trust so that my three kids won’t have to deal with probate when I die as I did with my parents’ home. How do I get my mortgaged home into the trust, or does it need to be? A: We think you’ve made a [...]
Revocable Trust: Get It Right the First Time
Revocable Trust: Get It Right the First Time Q: We had created a revocable trust to hold title to a family home back in 2007. The attorney that created the trust for us has since retired. We need to make some minute, simple changes to the trust. Our son has since married and has two [...]
Why You Buy Title Insurance
Why You Buy Title Insurance Q: A previous owner owes taxes on the home we purchased. We are trying to refinance our home and we were told that there are taxes owing from 2002. We purchased the home in 2004. Are we responsible for paying these real estate taxes? A: It’s hard to believe that [...]
2025 Personal Finance Resolutions
What are your 2025 Personal Finance Resolutions? Every year, Ilyce and Sam offer their readers New Year’s resolutions for home buyers, home sellers and their personal finances. These are their 2025 Personal Finance Resolutions. Here's a look at their 2025 Housing Trends. Last year, we asked our readers whether we were in a Silent Depression [...]
Estate Issues: Transferring Co-owned Assets
Estate Issues: Transferring Co-owned Assets How estates transfer assets like brokerage accounts or houses that are co-owned Q: I just read your article in the newspaper about the parents weighing the pros and cons of sharing assets with their daughter. What do you think about brokerage accounts that are held in joint tenancy with one [...]
Unpaid Home Loans: Sibling Wants Her Fair Share
Unpaid Home Loans Reader wants her fair share after siblings failed to repay home loans to mother's estate Q: My mother told me directly that the home loans my sisters and brother received from her would be taken out of their inheritance. My mother passed away 10 years ago. I just found out that my [...]
Estate Planning: Holding Title as Tenants in Common Causes Problems
Estate Planning: Holding Title as Tenants in Common Causes Problems Q: My husband died a couple of months ago. He had a living trust. I did not realize that our condo was titled as tenants in common rather than joint tenants. When he died, I asked a friend for the name of a lawyer to [...]