The Dark Side Of Online Fame
Less than two weeks after posting the video that would make him famous, and less than one week after appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Josh Holz experienced the latest milestone in the viral-fame cycle: The 15-year-old was hacked on Twitter. His account, joshholzz — the original site of the Damn Daniel meme — began tweeting out racist memes on Feb. 27. At some point after that, screenshots show, someone changed the account’s...
Saving Money When You’re Young? You Can Start Small
When you’re young and juggling lots of financial responsibilities, from repaying student loans to saving up for a down payment on a home, you may have only a few dollars left over each month to put away for retirement. The problem is, you generally need a lot more than just pocket change to invest in the mutual funds that will help grow your savings. Today, the average minimum investment for a U.S. stock fund — a core holding in any...
Money Talk: Time for Son to Move His IRA
Question: My son has an IRA at his credit union. He puts in small amounts when he can. Recently the credit union lowered the interest rate and started charging a $25 yearly maintenance fee, which now is taking all the interest back. Is this legal? Answer: Yes. It’s also a good reason to move the account elsewhere. Your son’s retirement account was shrinking in real terms even before the fee ate up all his interest. Even though rates...
7 Money Moves Before Year Ends
Washington — The end of the year is a natural time to reflect on goals and set resolutions. But some of the tasks you should get out of the way this month will have little to do with reading more or heading to the gym. December can be a good time to reassess saving strategies, get paperwork in order for your tax return and make other preparations. Here is a list of money moves to make this month: ■ Prepay bills. Do you have a kid in...
Money Talk: The Down Side of Automatic Payments
Question: Since I lost my second job, we have fallen behind on our bills. Although we get paid on Friday, by Monday our checking account is in the red even without buying anything. It’s all going to automatic payments for things like insurance and college savings for our child. I think the bank has a way of processing transactions to maximize our bounce fees. Should we take control and pay manually? Is automatic payment a recipe for...
