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.
Should My Wife Take Social Security At Age 62?
Should a reader's wife take a Social Security benefit at age 62? What happens to the Social Security Spousal Benefit? Here's this week's Question and Answer about Social Security. Should my wife take my Social Security benefit? Q: I would like your opinion on a Social Security question we have for my wife. First, I’ll [...]
3 Financial Resolutions for 2021
3 financial resolutions for 2021. Three tips to help improve your personal finances and prepare for economic uncertainty in the new year. Here’s a guess: there aren’t many of us who’d care to redo 2020. COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, changed everything, killing more than 365,000 Americans (as of this writing in early January) and taking [...]
How Do I Avoid Capital Gains Tax for Jointly Owned Property?
How do I avoid capital gains tax for jointly owned property? This reader wants to know how best to go about using the home sale exclusion when they sell the property. Q: My wife and I own our home jointly. The home has appreciated substantially in the 25 years we have owned it to the [...]
Can You Have Three Joint Tenants With Rights of Survivorship?
Can you have three joint tenants with rights of survivorship? This reader wants to know if it’s legal to add a third person to the title of their home. Q: There are two of us on the title of a home. We own the home as joint tenants with rights of survivorship. Is it legal [...]
Is It Better to Rent or Own Your Home in Retirement?
Is it better to rent or own your home in retirement? This reader wants to know if they should continue renting or use their savings to buy a home. Q: I'm 66 years old, with $5,100 dollars in monthly income from the government. I have no living dependents. I currently pay $1,600 a month in [...]
Should I Amend My Living Trust When I Buy More Property?
Should I amend my living trust when I buy more property? This reader moved and purchased two new properties since they last amended their trust in 2006. Q: I live in Florida and have a living trust which was amended in 2006. My daughter is my only heir and has now married. I have moved, [...]
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 [...]