Credit Score Myths The experts on Discovery Channel’s “Mythbusters” have tackled the 5-second rule for dropped food and whether the moon landing was faked. It’s high time they took on credit scoring. Lenders have used these three-digit numbers for decades. The companies that create scores are increasingly open about how they work. Yet myths and misunderstandings…
Turn The Tables On Debt Collectors There’s no shame in owing someone money, but it doesn’t always feel that way when collectors bombard you with mail and phone calls. Here’s how to work with them without feeling powerless. If your phone is ringing off the hook with calls from debt collectors, it’s not likely that…
Responsible Growth: How Investors Are Making a Difference MAKING INVESTMENTS THAT MATCH people’s personal values has changed significantly over the past few decades. Early versions of “socially responsible” or “values-based” investing were primarily based on excluding specific investments that conflicted with an individual’s values (often at a potential cost in returns). But impact investing reflects…
The Right Way To Cancel A Credit Card You want to cancel your credit card. Before you pick up your scissors, know this: Canceling a credit card the right way involves more than simply snipping it in two. It requires you to follow specific steps to close the credit card account for good with…
One Good Reason to Review Your Estate Plans Now The 2017 TAX LAW DOUBLED the federal estate tax exemption to $22.36 million for couples and $11.18 million for individuals, shielding all but the wealthiest Americans from federal estate taxes. But that larger exemption (which also applies to gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes) expires in 2025,…
Bubbles The Feds Cannot Ignore The Federal Reserve is determined to keep interest rates super-low until the economy has fully recovered and people are back to work. But the central bank doesn’t want low, low rates to pump up dangerous asset bubbles by inducing investors to pursue higher yields. Some markets have gotten so frothy…