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.
Unemployed? What You Need to Know About Filing Taxes
If you lose your job, your tax bill probably isn’t going to be the first thing on your mind. But when you file for unemployment, you’ll need to pay attention to your state’s tax laws. I live in California, which doesn’t tax unemployment benefits, so I was surprised to find that the majority of states [...]
Six Ways to Generate Cash in Retirement
If you’re approaching your golden years, how confident are you that you can live comfortably? If you’re worried that you might outlive your money, you have plenty of company—43 percent of retirees aren’t entirely sure they’re financially prepared, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Thankfully, you don’t have to lie awake worrying about it. [...]
Four Ways to Make Extra Cash This Year
Ready to make more money this year? Earning extra cash doesn’t have to be a chore, as long as you’ve got a plan and the right resources. Whether you’re looking to pay off a debt faster, save more for retirement or plan for a nice vacation later in the year, boosting your income could be [...]
The Five Conditions That Make Charitable Contributions Deductible
The National Center for Charitable Statistics reports that more than half of charities and foundations said they received the majority of their donations in October, November, and December. If you made charitable contributions over the holidays and you want to receive tax deductions for them, how you made your donations is important. Situations that don’t generate [...]
How to Help Prevent Tax Identity Theft
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is kicking off 2015 with Tax Identity Theft Awareness week, January 26 to 30. The purpose of this week is to educate people about identity theft—which could be anyone with a Social Security number (SSN). More than 1.6 million people were affected by tax identity theft in 2013. The IRS [...]
9 Tax Resolutions to Make This Month
If you’re looking to make a New Year’s resolution, here’s a good one to consider: Better managing your taxes. You should be receiving your tax paperwork soon, so do some preparation now to optimize your return and streamline the process. Here’s how you can start making this year’s New Year’s resolution—and stick to it: 1) [...]
Life Insurance: When Do I Need It, and How Much Should I Buy?
For 20-somethings without mortgages, spouses or kids, life insurance may be the furthest thing from their minds. After all, most people start thinking about purchasing it when they reach one of three milestones: buying a home, getting married, or starting a family. While data shows that many Millennials are now delaying homeownership, marriage and parenthood, [...]
3 Reasons I Don’t Invest in Individual Stocks
It’s always good to see first-time investors take a stab at the stock market, especially since it has tripled in value since 2009. But sometimes they are over-eager to go “all in” on one company. A caller on my WSB radio show this week told me she was ready to invest in a company that [...]
How Does Identity Theft Insurance Work?
On two occasions, I’ve been the victim of a crime that could have resulted in identity theft. The first instance occurred when I was walking down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and a young girl grabbed my makeup case thinking it was my wallet (she hesitantly returned it to me after I pointed out that fact). [...]
Getting a Mortgage with Student Loan Debt
Millions of American Millennials are dealing with significant student loan debt, but they are also eager to buy homes and start their adult lives. According to the Project on Student Loan Debt, about seven in 10 college seniors who graduated from public and private nonprofit colleges in 2015 had student loan debt, averaging $30,100. In [...]