How to complain and get what you want
If you feel you have more to complain about these days, you may be right. The products we use are increasingly complex, which often means they have more ways to malfunction. Companies are still struggling to hire and retain workers, so the customer service representatives who are supposed to help you may not know how. And that’s if you can even get through to a human being after... READ MORE
How to find a good daily money manager
Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend any services that can help my mother with her financial chores? My dad always used to handle the bill paying and paperwork, but he passed away last year, and mom struggles to keep on top of things. And I don’t live close enough to help her on a regular basis. —Concerned Daughter Dear Concerned, It sounds like your mom could use a good daily... READ MORE
Beware of buying a flood-damaged used car
After hurricanes with large-scale floods — such as happened in Florida recently with Hurricane Ian — flood-damaged vehicles often end up at salvage auctions and are bought by rebuilders. The vehicles should be marked as “salvage” or “total-loss” on the title, but every year, thousands of severely water-damaged vehicles are resold to unsuspecting consumers — often in... READ MORE
Few stores’ sale prices are really deals
“SALE! 60% OFF!” “This weekend only: Save an extra 40%!” “List: $299 Our price: $199” Consumers’ Checkbook’s researchers spent 33 weeks tracking sale prices at 25 major retailers and found that most stores’ discount claims aren’t really discounts at all, but rather are attempts to mislead. And the shady sales practice is worse than ever before. Checkbook... READ MORE
What to know about working after age 65
Continuing to work past the traditional retirement age gives many the opportunity to add more money to their nest egg — and to delay Social Security, which will bump up their eventual benefits check. In May, 21.9% of Americans ages 65 and older were working, compared with 19.5% in May 2020, according to a study released in June by MagnifyMoney, which analyzed U.S. Census Bureau... READ MORE
Situations where you might need a trust
Some simple estate planning techniques that you can use to avoid probate include adding beneficiaries to your retirement accounts and adding transfer-on-death (TOD) designations to after-tax accounts. When you pass away, these assets will avoid probate and can be transferred directly to the listed beneficiary. Once the beneficiary receives the proceeds, they can do whatever they like... READ MORE
Goodwill is moving some thrifting online
Goodwill is expanding its online presence, promising high-tech features from digitized receipts to personalized alerts. Last month, the 120-year-old Maryland-based nonprofit organization launched GoodwillFinds.com — a shopping venture that is making roughly 100,000 donated items available for purchase online. It’s expanding Goodwill’s internet presence that, until now, had been... READ MORE
Best ways to invest in the current market
Investors in both the stock and the bond markets are understandably nervous. The Federal Reserve has indicated that, until inflation is under control, it will continue to increase interest rates. As long as that happens, it is likely that both bond prices and stock prices will remain under pressure and may continue to fall in value. Most investors are not sure what action, if any, is... READ MORE
Five ways to feel rich (even if you aren’t)
In some ways, feeling “rich” is less about how many zeroes you have in your bank account and more about knowing how to use them to get what you want out of life. For author and certified financial planner Tom Corley, feeling rich comes from having an Irish pub-style structure in his back yard in New Jersey that allows him to invite friends over for outdoor drinks. For Liz... READ MORE
Steps to take after a loved one passes
The death of a loved one is obviously a difficult event to endure. It can become all-consuming, often at the expense of other day-to-day matters that need to be addressed. With the death of a loved one, there are so many phone calls that need to be made and letters that need to be sent. Unfortunately, sometimes we simply get overwhelmed with everything that needs to get handled, and we... READ MORE
