Aggressive overdraft fees are worth tens of billions of dollars a year to the banking industry. Account holders are finally getting some better options.
0
Tag Archives: Personal Finances
Add Boats to the List of What’s Hard to Find (and More Expensive)
Sales and charters of boats of all sizes are up this summer. You can forget about bargaining, brokers say.
0
The 20-Day Money Challenge: How to Set Up Your Financial Future
We picked 20 truly essential money lessons, paired with simple tasks for you to take on.
0
Federal PLUS College Loans Can Trap Parents in Debt
The popular parent PLUS loans are made without regard to the ability of borrowers to repay, and have fewer protections when they can’t.
0
Ron Lieber: Invest in the People You Love
If you’re emerging from the pandemic in better financial shape than before, ask yourself this: What will you spend to renew your bonds, and how will you do it?
0
Here Are Some Tips for Teenagers on Landing a Summer Job
Openings abound now but may go quickly, so it’s wise to submit applications soon. And don’t wear jeans and a T-shirt to the interview.
0
How to Buy Happiness (Responsibly)
The great reopening offers ample opportunity to lift your spirits if you have some money to spare. Here’s how to do it right.
0
529 Plans for College: Shop Around and Save Fees
There was big growth in account balances during the pandemic, but some states are offering promotions to attract even more savers.
0
How the Pandemic Has Changed Attitudes Toward Wealth
Americans found that money cannot buy everything, and they used their wealth to build relationships and help others, according to two recent surveys.
0
How to Navigate a Hot Housing Market
Competition for homes in many cities is leading potential buyers to take steps they may not have considered a short time ago, including waiving the inspection.
0
E.V. Buying Guide: What to Know About Models, Batteries, Charging and More
Buying an electric car can be exciting and bewildering. Consider what kind of car you want and need and where you will charge.
0
How Spending Mistakes Can Be Early Signs of Alzheimer’s
Impulsive purchases, out-of-control spending: These behaviors can be early signs of Alzheimer’s disease or other cognitive decline.
0
New Generation of Investors Trade Stock Tips on TikTok
Self-taught and sharing what they’ve found out, a new generation of retail investors is taking the markets — and not memes — seriously.
0
How Identity Thieves Took My Wife for a Ride
Auto insurers try to make it easy to sign up for a policy. Those efforts have given an opening to scammers.
0
Rising Debt, Falling Income: How to Dig Out
More Americans over age 55 are carrying debt loads, and their nonmortgage debt grew significantly during the pandemic.
0
How Small Market Investors Are Being Wooed by Companies
Small investors are becoming a force in the stock market, and company executives are beginning to take notice.
0
The Tax Filing Deadline Was Delayed to May 17. Here’s What to Know.
The federal government and most states pushed back the date to May 17, but others have gone their own way. And if you make estimated tax payments, the deadline remains April 15.
0
Investing Made Simple for Beginners and Everyone Else
Managing your money for the long run can be easier than you might imagine.
0
An Argument for Investing Where the Return Is Social Change
A new report makes the case for investments that consider impact first and financial return second. But critics say such investments are mainly for the wealthy.
0
Summer Camps See Rebound in Interest
After resisting in 2020, many parents see an antidote to a school year when their children have been glued to a computer screen.
0
Where’s My Stimulus Payment? Maybe in Your Account. (Finally!)
The latest round of payments are the biggest yet, and open to more kinds of dependents. But some hassles encountered in past rounds could show up again, and maybe new ones, too.
0
Stimulus payments start to arrive on Wednesday, although some banks gave people access already.
More payments will be made in coming weeks, including for people who will receive theirs by mail as a check or debit card.
0
The Tax Headaches of Working Remotely
“Each state has its own rules,” one tax expert says. So if you worked in a state other than your usual one in 2020, here are some tips on dealing with the tax season.
0
How Your 2020 Taxes Are Affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic
New rules, many of them temporary, give taxpayers breaks that can cut their tax bills or even generate extra refunds this year.
0
It May Be Time to Start Worrying About the Estate Tax
Most people have been able to pass on assets like a family home without federal tax, but that could be changing.
0
A Smarter App Is Watching Your Wallet
As artificial intelligence evolves, personal finance programs are working to offer you, and your budget, tailored advice.
0
Podcasts That Can Help You Manage Your Money
No financial question is too embarrassing, complicated or lofty for these Money-101 podcasts.
0
If You Live to 100, You’ll Need More Than Money
The number of centenarians in the U.S. is growing steadily. If you join them, you’ll need not just a robust retirement fund but also a plan, and a purpose.
0
Please Send Us Your College Application Essays About Money
Did you apply for undergraduate admission for the fall 2021 semester? Did you write an essay about money, work or social class? We’d like to read it and perhaps publish it.
0
Don’t Pay Tax Penalties on Money You Took From Retirement Accounts
Here’s a guide to avoiding unnecessary taxes on withdrawals made last year.
0
What Should You Do With Your Savings?
If you’ve been fortunate enough to put away some cash, here are a few ideas on what to do with it.
0
Dad, a Death Sentence and the Planner Who Set Us Straight
A personal finance columnist, a lawyer and an executive whose nonprofit works with cancer patients sound like siblings who would be prepared to deal with their dad’s diagnosis. They still needed help.
0
On the Post-Pandemic Horizon, Could That Be … a Boom?
Signs of economic life are picking up, and mounds of cash are waiting to be spent as the virus loosens its grip.
0
Is My Stimulus Payment Taxable? And Other Tax Questions
With tax filing season about to begin, here’s what you need to know.
0
How a Fintech Exec Who Focuses on Poverty Relief Spends Sundays
The pandemic has been a challenge for Wemimo Abbey, whose company serves low-income communities.
0
How to Win at the Stock Market by Being Lazy
The drama of GameStop is misleading; the surer path to wealth is extremely boring.
0
An Invisible Cost of College: Parental Guilt
Is it any wonder that plenty of people are tempted to borrow a whole lot of money to send their kids to college?
0
A 10-Year-Old GameStop Investor Cashed In. His Return? Over 5,000%
Jaydyn Carr of San Antonio made $3,200 on shares from GameStop this week that his mother bought him in 2019 for about $60.
0
You Made Money on GameStop. Here’s What You Need to Know About Taxes.
Some investors may have notched tens of thousands of dollars in profits. Depending on when they sell the stock, they may owe hefty capital gains taxes.
0
How to Pay for College (and Not Lose Your Shirt)
“The Price You Pay for College,” by Ron Lieber, is a comprehensive guide to navigating an often treacherous process.
0
Financial Aid: Grades, Merit and Talking to Kids About Paying for College
Most colleges and universities now use a “merit” aid strategy to solicit teenagers. Your eighth grader probably ought to know how it works.
0
The Estate Tax May Change Under Biden, Affecting Far More People
In contrast to previous changes, the tax code could be modified in a way that affects everyone who has something of value to leave to heirs.
0
How to Pay Off Credit Card Debt
While American balances are down over all, interest can still add up. If your stimulus check isn’t going to cover basics, consider reducing your debt.
0
How To Spend in 2021
Last year we were just trying to roll with the punches. Hopefully now we can apply some of those survival skills to our finances.
0
Will an Overdraft Negative Bank Balance Impact Your Stimulus Check?
Banks have the power to decide whether to let overdrawn customers gain access to the stimulus money being deposited into their accounts, but they have taken different approaches.
0
FAFSA’s Expected Family Contribution Is Going Away. Good Riddance.
The dollar figure that the federal financial aid form spits out has long left families confused and despondent. And then, there are those great expectations.
0
For Millions of Jobless, Christmas Is a Season to Endure, Not Celebrate
Even with new federal aid on the way, many Americans face a holiday of tough choices, trying to celebrate while dealing with pressing needs.
0
Stuck at Home, People Are Splurging on Wine and Spirits
Sales of wine, beer and spirits are up across the board, but “consumers are trading up and spending more,” one analyst said.
0
Workers Tap Retirement Savings as a Last Resort
At least two million workers have turned to their workplace retirement plans for cash under temporary rules created during the pandemic. But so far, most people have left their accounts alone.
0
How I Blew My Bitcoin on Sushi
In 2013, this reporter spent 10 Bitcoin, worth $1,000 at the time, on a dinner for dozens of strangers in San Francisco. The owner of the restaurant wisely held onto it.
0