Personal Finance and Business

A generation ago, most families didn't think about financial fraud. Today, it can come in many forms – over the phone, through the mail and increasingly, online. It's an equal opportunity crime that affects consumers of all ages. For the 15th straight year, the Federal Trade Commission tapped identity theft as the number one source of consumer complaints in its 2014 Consumer … [Read more...] about Building a fraud-free family

Shakespeare probably said it best: "Neither a borrower, nor a lender be, for loan oft loses both itself and friend." Four hundred years later, people still wrestle with whether or not to help out a loved one by loaning them money or co-signing a loan. Perhaps you want to help your kid qualify for a better student loan rate or assist your widowed mom with refinancing her … [Read more...] about Before co-signing a loan, know the risks

What can you say about tragedy? When it’s imminent, you brace yourself and hope to come out unscathed. In its aftermath, you mourn and, eventually, you move on, healed… but not quite ever the same. Still, what, exactly, can you say about tragedy? Plenty, as you’ll see in the book “In Remembrance of Emmett Till” by Darryl Mace, and the strongest words come from … [Read more...] about “In Remembrance of Emmett Till” by Darryl Mace

African American women are the only demographic in the United States whose unemployment rate has not improved over the past year, according to a National Women's Law Center analysis of the latest jobs data. The overall unemployment rate dropped from 7.2 percent to 6.1 percent between August 2013 and August 2014, and women's unemployment rate dropped from 6.2 percent to 5.7 … [Read more...] about Black women are the only demographic not gaining jobs

In their quest to land a job, any job, many young adults will sacrifice what used to be called "fringe benefits" to gain a foot in the door. But many entry-level jobs either offer no healthcare benefits, or the employee's cost share is prohibitive for someone barely making minimum wage. Add to the equation that most twenty-somethings are in good health and rarely visit the … [Read more...] about Under 26? Should you stay on your parent’s health insurance?

Call it a paperless experiment that didn't quite pan out. In 2011, a budget-strapped Social Security Administration (SSA) stopped mailing annual benefit statements to workers over 25 in order to save $70 million on annual printing and mailing costs. In return, the agency launched the "my Social Security" online tool that allows 24/7 access to your statement, as well as other … [Read more...] about Social Security to resume mailed benefit statements

To parents with a freshman entering college this fall: You're probably expecting to shell out major bucks for tuition, room and board and a million other necessities over the next few years. But before you send your kid off, make sure you share one gift likely to steer him or her along the road to financial security – a sound understanding of how credit works. You probably … [Read more...] about Here’s credit 101 for your college freshman

No doubt you've seen many warnings against sharing personal or financial information with strangers, but what about your spouse – or ex-spouse? A recent study by McAfee uncovered some unsettling results: Although 96 percent of adults surveyed trust their significant other with passwords, intimate photos and other personal content, only 32 percent have asked their ex to delete … [Read more...] about Divorcing? Protect your finances, personal data