Money Talk: Don’t Trash Your Credit Score Over Stolen TV
Question: A few months ago, I purchased a large television from a nearby store. I was offered no interest for 12 months using the store’s credit card. The TV was stolen from the back of my pickup truck before I was able to bring it into my apartment. I called the police and filed a report. The next day I returned to the store and asked if anything could be done. They said they could only offer another television for a discounted...
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...
Consumer Confidential: Why Is University of California Investing in Payday Lender Ace Cash Express?
The University of California makes money when American workers become trapped in endless cycles of high-interest debt. That’s because the university has invested millions of dollars in an investment fund that owns one of the country’s largest payday lenders, ACE Cash Express, which has branches throughout Southern California. ACE isn’t an upstanding citizen even by the bottom-feeding standards of its industry. In 2014, Texas-based ACE...
Money Talk: Roth Gift Could Fund Down Payment
Question: My 29-year-old son recently married, and as a gift I pledged $20,000 as a down payment on a house. My daughter-in-law is beginning a career as a registered nurse and I know they will not be buying for a few years. Is there any type of account that will grow tax-free or tax-deferred for a first-time buyer? Maybe I could gift this money to them into a retirement account for the time being? Answer: You may be able to give them...
Money Talk: Make Retirement Saving a Priority
Question: I’m engaged to be married and need your advice on getting started in the world of shared finances. My fiance is 43, I’m 31. He’s debt free, with a savings account but no retirement fund. I have $34,000 in student loans (consolidated at 4.25 percent) and it weighs heavily on my mind as I’m desperate to become debt free. I’m debt free otherwise with $10,000 in savings. We both make good money but my income as a freelancer is...
