Dear Liz: My husband and I plan to delay taking Social Security retirement benefits until the higher-earning spouse is 70. This is to ensure the highest possible survivor benefit. However, the lower-earning spouse will be turning 62 at the same time that the higher earning spouse turns 70. We are concerned that the lower-earning spouse’s future […]
Recent Blog Posts
Q&A: Could spouse’s early start stunt Social Security survivor benefit?
Q&A: How long should I wait before withdrawing from my IRA?
Dear Liz: My husband and I disagree over when to use pre-tax monies (e.g., IRAs). He’ll be 69, and I’ll be 67 in the coming year, so we aren’t required to take distributions yet, and he isn’t starting Social Security until 70. He insists it’s better to use our regular assets to live on and […]
Q&A: Seniors may not have to file tax returns
Dear Liz: I disagree with the tax advice you gave to the 85-year-old lady and her husband, age 87, who hadn’t filed a tax return in the last three to five years. Maybe their combined income is so low they don’t have to file. Did you consider that? If not, you should. Not everyone needs a […]
Q&A: Can I use health savings account to pay Medicare premiums?
Dear Liz: I’m 65. Can I use a health savings account to pay my Medicare premiums? I do not collect Social Security yet. Answer: If you already have an HSA, then yes, you can make tax-free withdrawals from it to pay your Medicare premiums. Once you enroll in Medicare, though, you won’t be able to make further […]
Q&A: Beware of transferring a home’s title before death
Dear Liz: I am in my late 70s. My husband is in his mid 80s and in poor health. Are there advantages to transferring the title to our house into my name alone so I can be the sole owner? Answer: Owning the house solo could make it easier for you to sell or refinance without your […]
Q&A: Grandparent’s generosity could affect financial aid
Dear Liz: You wrote in a recent column that grandparents could pay tuition directly to a school, and it would not trigger a gift tax return. That’s true, but my daughters have told me — and two private, expensive, and not excessively generous universities have verified — that my paying $20,000 in tuition would decrease my […]
Books
Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.
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Your Credit Score: How to Improve the 3-Digit Number that Shapes Your Financial Future (5th edition)
Improve your credit score, for real, with the #1 best-selling guide you can trust! Today, a good credit score is essential for getting credit, getting a job, even getting car insurance or a cellphone. Now, best selling journalist Liz Pulliam Weston has thoroughly updated her top-selling guide to credit scores, with crucial new information for protecting (or rebuilding) yours.
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Deal with Your Debt: Free Yourself from What You Owe
Struggling with debt? Get realistic help that's actually useful.
In this extensively updated guide, you can discover how to control and manage debt effectively. You'll learn which debts can actually help build wealth over time, and which are simply toxic. You'll find up-to-date, real-world strategies for assessing and paying off debt, money-saving insights on which debts to tackle first, and crucial information about everything from debt consolidation loans to credit scores and credit counseling. Weston offers practical guidelines for assessing how much debt is safe -- and compassionate, realistic guidance if you've gone beyond the safety zone. If you've ever worried about debt, you'll find the new edition of Deal with Your Debt absolutely indispensable.
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There Are No Dumb Questions About Money: Answers and Advice to Help You Make the Most of Your Finances
There’s a myth in our society that some people are just naturally “good” with money. So naturally, everybody else must be “bad”--or at least, dumb--if they’re not sure what to do.
The reality is, no one is born a money expert. Those who are “good” with money had to learn: by reading, asking questions, and consulting people who know more than they do. No one knows everything, and the only dumb questions are the ones you don’t ask.
This collection of money questions and answers can help you solve your most pressing concerns about your finances. You can buy this ebook on iTunes or on Amazon.
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The 10 Commandments of Money: Survive and Thrive in the New Economy
From the #1 personal finance columnist on the Internet (Nielsen/NetRatings)-a clear prescription for financial health in the 2010s and beyond.
For previous generations, living within your means was a simple formula. Now, with the staggering rise in education, health care, and housing costs, millions of people find themselves skating from paycheck to paycheck with no idea how to move forward.
As the most-read personal finance columnist on the Internet, Liz Weston has heard the questions and has the answers. Her 10 Commandments of Money will help readers avoid critical mistakes, survive the bad times, and thrive in the good ones.
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Easy Money: How to Simplify Your Finances and Get What You Want Out of Life
Common sense. Easy solutions. Plain English.
Best selling author, Liz Weston, takes on the problem everyone has, and nobody talks about: the sheer hassle of managing your money! Weston offers practical guidance and easy checklists for every decision: investments, credit cards, insurance, mortgages, retirement, college savings, and more! Discover how to consolidate, delegate, and automate your finances…save time and money…and live a more rewarding, secure life!