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.
What Happens If My Husband Dies and the Title Is Only in His Name?
What happens if my husband dies and the title is only in his name? This reader is on the mortgage but not the title and hasn’t had any luck fixing it. Q: My husband died in 2013. After his death I learned that the title to our home we purchased when we got married was [...]
5 Tips for Enjoying the Holidays During COVID-19
5 tips for enjoying the holidays during COVID-19. How to get in the spirit of the holiday season and keeping everyone safe. COVID-19 makes every holiday a little scarier. Now that your spider web netting, scary masks and adorable kids costumes have been safely tucked away in storage, it’s time to turn our attention to [...]
How Much Did Americans Spend on Groceries During COVID-19?
How much did Americans spend on groceries during COVID-19? The average weekly grocery bill increased by nearly 20 percent in 2020. In the early days of COVID-19, grocery store aisles were emptied of pasta, canned vegetables and toilet paper as Americans hunkered down for quarantine. In fact, our publisher, Ilyce Glink, just dug into a [...]
What to Know About Transferring Property to Beneficiaries
What to know about transferring property to beneficiaries. This reader wants to know if it’s better to transfer the title or go through probate. Q: I’ve enjoyed reading your recent article in our local newspaper on the differences between using a will and a quitclaim deed in order to pass property to heirs or family [...]
Managing Your Personal Finances During COVID-19
Managing your personal finances during COVID-19. How those who are struggling can utilize COVID-19 relief programs and prioritize bill payments. The economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic is putting an unprecedented strain on Americans’ finances. Half of those who were laid off due to COVID-19 remain unemployed and most workers who lost wages are still [...]
What You Should Know About Refinancing Your Mortgage Before Retirement
What you should know about refinancing your mortgage before retirement. Four things to consider when refinancing your mortgage before retirement. We recently received a long comment on one of our questions regarding a homeowner who was deciding whether to refinance their home before retiring. Our correspondent is a mortgage industry veteran of many years and [...]
Does a Quitclaim Deed Override a Will?
Does a quitclaim deed override a will? This reader wants to know which document is used to determine who inherits the property of a friend who passed. Q: My friend filled out a will before she married her last husband. She owned a house and when she married she did a quitclaim deed with her [...]
What Do You Do If You Can’t Afford a New Septic System?
What do you do if you can’t afford a new septic system? These homeowners want to know their options if the town requires a replacement they can’t afford. Q: We found out a couple of months ago that the leach field of our septic system has failed. The field is on our neighbors’ property. It [...]
How Do You Make a Consumer Complaint?
How do you make a consumer complaint? How to file a complaint against a company and the top 10 most common consumer complaints. Who do you complain to when the used car you bought breaks down as soon as you drive it off the lot? Or when the handyman you hired to work on your [...]
What Does Homeowners Insurance Cover?
What does homeowners insurance cover? What typical policies cover and how to adjust premiums and deductibles to get the right coverage for you. Homeowners insurance can shield families from devastating losses if they have the right amount of coverage but it turns out many are unclear what that looks like for their home. Nearly half [...]