When ‘Candy Crush’ has you piling up credit card charges
I put myself on “Candy Crush Saga” probation.The moment of my self-directed timeout from the videogame app came when I almost — almost — made an in-app purchase to get more gold bars, lollipops, bombs...
View ArticleThe real news: U.S. marshals don’t go around chasing loan defaulters
If you’ve defaulted on federal student loans, you can breathe more easily. You won’t be arrested for simply failing to make payments.For a hot second, people were panicking after a Houston television...
View ArticleFact or Fishy? Tax Day is coming fast. Test your knowledge here.
When he was little, my son couldn’t get enough of “SpongeBob SquarePants.” I eventually fell in love with it, too.And I used to know a fair amount about the cartoon and could best my son — sometimes —...
View ArticleIf you are paying back student loans, this is the anthem for you
I told you in January that 2016 is my year of change.I’ve done two things to stay encouraged to stop worrying about my financial security. I picked a theme song (the Disney anthem “Let It Go”) and a...
View ArticleThe value of keeping a family together — no matter the cost
This week, my husband and I start another session of a course we teach at our church called “Mastering Money in Your Marriage.”We love doing it because we get to help couples become better money...
View ArticleUnderstanding your credit score and how to raise it
So much of our financial lives comes down to certain numbers.There’s the retirement figure you hope to get to so you can avoid eating potted meat and rice.And your Social Security number — although,...
View ArticleWhat is a fair payout for brother who gave up his part of house? Readers...
If you enter into financial deals with family members, be prepared for some uncomfortable and sometimes ugly disagreements. If things go wrong, it does become personal.Recently, I weighed in on the...
View ArticleAre you sure your financial adviser is legit? Here’s how to tell.
Before you eat at a new restaurant, you probably go online to look at reviews, right?Want to see the latest movie? It’s likely you’ll check what your favorite film critic has to say about it. Before...
View ArticleA tax return can go to so many good causes — but first you must file
There’s so much anxiety this time of year.And it’s not just because of college basketball’s March Madness. No, right about now is the beginning of “April Madness,” better known as tax time. Some of you...
View ArticleHow to score a slam-dunk Final Four bracket — for your finances
Now that your March Madness bracket is already collapsing, how about a matchup where you’re always a winner? The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) and the Financial Planning Association...
View ArticleThe super-rich are also vulnerable to elder financial abuse
Just before the release of a survey about elder financial abuse, an arbitration panel awarded $34 million in damages, including hearing costs, to the estate of Roy M. Speer, a co-founder of the Home...
View ArticleWhy your finances need to be part of your spring cleaning
Only two boxes left. Every spring, I purge. It’s a ritual I learned from my grandmother Big Mama. Around late March, she would begin her spring cleaning, starting with taking down the heavy winter...
View ArticleIn financial spring cleaning, here’s what to keep
Recently, I wrote about my annual financial spring cleaning ritual and implored you to join me in purging.Amber in Indiana sent me a note that fits into a feature I started this year called “Ask Away.”...
View ArticleNovel weaves all-too-real tale of siblings’ financial rivalry and the family...
My grandmother Big Mama always said that when she died she wanted her home to stay in the family. Specifically, she wanted my disabled brother, who couldn’t work much, to always have a place to live. I...
View ArticleFor some, getting ahead financially simply means not falling behind
April is National Financial Literacy Month, and that leads to lots of events aimed at helping people become better money managers.But during a recent live discussion, I received a question that we...
View ArticleReaders talk back about purging financial paperwork
Who knew there were so many opinions about the financial documents you should retain or toss?In two recent columns, I encouraged people to purge and offered some suggestions on what to shred, save or...
View ArticleCANCELED: Color of Money Live (March 31)
Post columnist Michelle Singletary offers her advice and answers your questions. Click here to read the full / original blog post.
View ArticleDegree and debt but no job
Anna Alaburda filed a lawsuit accusing her law school of fraud when she couldn’t find a job. What do you think of her case? Click here to read the full / original blog post.
View ArticleNovel weaves all-too-real tale of siblings’ financial rivalry and the family...
Angela Flournoy’s “The Turner House” uncovers the stresses of caring for an ailing parent. Click here to read the full / original blog post.
View ArticleFor some, getting ahead financially simply means not falling behind
It’s National Financial Literacy Month — a good time to build a cushion and pay down debt. Click here to read the full / original blog post.
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