Financial tips and useful information.
On January 15, 2020, the Dow Jones Industrial Average index crossed 29,000 for the first time. In February, the first American died of COVID-19 and, on March 11, COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic...
For the past seven months, I have been writing a book called Flipping a Switch. The book, which will be out by May, describes 35 “flipped switches (i.e., transitions) that people experience in later...
Many things in our country now feel “out of control.” Between COVID-19, a now fragile economy and bear market, rising unemployment, closed schools and universities patching together online courses on the fly, companies facing...
Are you filing a tax return soon that includes income from investments? While stock market indexes have fallen dramatically in the last two weeks, many investors had capital gains in 2019 and are paying...
Irecently participated on a panel for a Twitter chattitled Common Questions About Credit, sponsored by Experian. Below are some key points about building a positive credit history when you do not currently have one....
Today, I participated in a Cooperative Extension Twitter chat for America Saves Week (ASW). The theme of the Twitter chat and its accompanying video chat was planned saving. “Save with a Plan” was the...
In addition to earning a higher Social Security benefit (e.g., by working longer and delaying benefits), one of the most powerful ways that people can increase their income in retirement is to increase their...
I recently participated on a panel for a Twitter chat titled How to Spend Valentine’s Day on a Budget, sponsored by Experian. Below are some tips that I shared in response to the questions:...
I recently attended a seminar called Identifying and Avoiding Scams. The speaker, a bank fraud specialist, described three key steps: know the types of scams that are out there, learn the identifying characteristics of...
According to the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), free meal seminarsconducted by people with questionable credentials to sell legal and/or investment products to older adults create a “perfect storm” for investment fraud. Ever...
Tax season begins this year on Monday, January 27, 2020. This is the first day that the IRS will start accepting and processing 2019 tax year forms. The Military Families Learning Network personal finance...
In 2017, after the Equifax hack affected over 145 million people, I froze my credit. At that time, I remember thinking that I was “done” and would never have to unfreeze it because I...
Irecently co-authored a journal article in the Journal of Financial Planning and conducted a webinar for the Military Families Learning Network titled 2019 Personal Finance Year in Review. Both discussed recent events, facts, and...