Money Talk: Gift to Son Not a Charitable Donation
Question: Our son bought a house and lost his job two months after the purchase. We have helped him stay afloat. Thankfully he has a new job. We don’t expect to get the money back — he is still trying to get out from under — but we have given him close to $10,000. Can we claim this as a “gift” to him on our income taxes? Answer: The IRS doesn’t view money given to family members as a charitable donation. In other words, there’s no tax...
Money Talk: Pay in Full on Time for Best Results
Question: I have little to no information — good or bad — in my credit reports. I am considering obtaining a secured loan from my credit union to establish better credit. Does it make any difference to my credit score if the credit union reports the loan as “secured”? Answer: Credit scores don’t treat installment loans differently based on whether they’re unsecured, with just your promise to repay, or secured, which means backed by an...
Money Talk: Deciding Which Loan to Pay Off
Question: I am going to pay off one of my daughter’s private student loans. One has a balance of $8,500 at 4 percent interest and the other is for $7,500 at 6 percent. Which one should I pay off? Answer: You have a lucky daughter, either way. In addition to balances and rates, the other variable you need to consider is whether the rates are fixed or adjustable. These days, many private student loans have fixed rates, but in the past...
Money Talk: Most People’s W-4s Are ‘Wrong’
Question: After being an unmarried couple for 15 years, we were married in February 2014. Though I sent this information to my company’s benefits department, I neglected to change my W-4 status from “single” to “married.” I’m crossing my fingers that when all is said and done, we have paid the correct taxes when we filed for 2014 (we filed jointly as married) regardless of what was withheld pursuant to the W-4. Or do I need to inform...
Money Talk: Growth Requires Accepting Some Risk
Question: What is the best way to protect my 401(k) now and in the future when I draw from it for retirement? What is the least risky place to “bank it”? I have a fear of a crashing stock market in the middle of my retirement years. Answer: The bigger risk is that the stock market will crash early in your retirement years. Starting withdrawals from a shrunken pool can dramatically increase the odds of running short of money in your...
