YOU WONT BELIEVE: 2 - What They Never Told You

Your Required Minimum Distribution Is Due — What Happens if You Take Too Little?

Retirement accounts come with plenty of rules, but few have such an awkward consequence as failing to withdraw money you actually own. Required minimum distributions (RMDs) force retirees to take money out of certain retirement accounts, whether they need the cash or not. Take less than the required amount, and…

The Free Financial Advisor · Nov 9

Your Parents Leave You a Vacation Home With Your Siblings — Who Pays the Bills?

A family vacation home can bring back decades of happy memories. Unfortunately, memories don’t pay the property taxes, replace a leaking roof, or keep the electricity running while nobody visits. When parents leave a vacation home to several children, the inheritance comes with an unusual financial arrangement. Everyone may own…

The Free Financial Advisor · Nov 9

Why Some Couples Regret Combining Every Financial Account

Sharing a life does not require sharing every dollar in exactly the same way. Yet some couples combine their checking accounts, savings, credit cards, and investments soon after marriage, convinced that complete financial transparency will prevent money problems.

The Free Financial Advisor · Nov 9

6 Reasons Investors Should Read a Fund’s Expense Ratio

Two investment funds can own nearly identical stocks, follow the same index, and deliver similar results before fees. Yet one can leave investors with more money simply because it charges less to manage their investments. That little percentage tucked into a fund’s paperwork can quietly influence an investment portfolio for…

The Free Financial Advisor · Nov 8

Your Roth IRA Has Been Open Less Than Five Years — What Withdrawal Rules Apply?

A Roth IRA can let you withdraw money without a tax bill, even before retirement. But open the account recently, and the rules become a little more complicated. The surprising part? You may be able to withdraw every dollar you personally contributed without taxes or penalties, even if the account…

The Free Financial Advisor · Nov 8

7 Financial Decisions Couples Should Make Before Relocating

A new city can offer better jobs, cheaper housing, warmer weather, or a welcome change of scenery. It can also introduce an awkward financial question: What happens when two people have very different ideas about what the move should cost?

The Free Financial Advisor · Nov 8

Your Bank Charges an Inactivity Fee — When Can That Happen?

A bank account can have money in it, earn interest, and still get treated like it has fallen off the face of the earth. Leave it untouched long enough, and your bank may start charging an inactivity fee. Eventually, the account could even end up in the state’s unclaimed property…

The Free Financial Advisor · Nov 8

We Calculated the Cost of Financing a $60,000 Vehicle for Seven Years

A $60,000 vehicle can look surprisingly affordable when the dealership spreads the payments across seven years. The monthly number gets smaller, the salesperson smiles, and suddenly a rather expensive purchase feels within reach. There is just one catch: The car doesn’t become cheaper because the loan takes longer.

The Free Financial Advisor · Nov 8

Your Credit Card Is Closed for Inactivity — Could Your Score Change?

A credit card you haven’t touched in months can suddenly become a credit score problem, even if you’ve never missed a payment. Your issuer may decide the account no longer deserves a place in its lineup, close it, and leave you dealing with the financial consequences.

The Free Financial Advisor · Nov 8

The Difference Between Owning a Stock and Owning a Stock Fund

Buying a share of Apple makes someone a part-owner of Apple. Buying a share of a stock fund makes that person an owner of something else entirely: a collection of investments that may include Apple, along with dozens or thousands of other companies.

The Free Financial Advisor · Nov 8