RARE PHOTOS: 7 | Vintage Vibes

Your Credit Score Went Up—And That’s Exactly When Lenders Get You to Borrow Badly

A higher credit score can make borrowing cheaper and easier. It can also make borrowing harder to resist.

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 25

Surveillance Pricing Is Legal in Most States: How to Tell If a Site Is Charging You More

Surveillance pricing can turn your own shopping data into a pricing input. A website may consider details such as location, browsing activity, purchase history, or other personal information when deciding which price or promotion to show you.

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 25

Americans Are Feeling Worse About Their Finances—Should You Delay a Big Purchase Before the Holidays?

Americans have a new reason to pause before making a major purchase this holiday season: their confidence in their own finances has slipped. A new NerdWallet Financial Resilience Index found that 73% of Americans felt in control of their day-to-day finances, down from 77% in July. At the same time,…

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 25

The IRS Just Eased 401(k)-to-IRA Rollovers — But One Missed Step Still Costs You 20% Upfront

The IRS just moved to make 401(k)-to-IRA rollovers easier to handle, but the old 20% withholding rule still matters. A new IRS notice gives retirement plans sample forms and proposed procedures for direct rollovers, aiming to make the process more standardized and less confusing.

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 24

Business Power of Attorney: 8 Ways an Adult Child Can Sell Your Company Before You Can Revoke It

A business power of attorney can give an adult child authority to make decisions involving a company, its property, or the owner’s financial interests. If that authority reaches a business sale, timing can become a serious issue because revoking the document may not immediately stop every third party from relying…

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 23

Credit Card Rates Are Near 24%—Is That $2,000 Purchase Still Worth Financing?

A $2,000 purchase does not stay a $2,000 purchase once credit card interest starts piling up. With credit card rates hovering around the 24% range for some borrowers and balances, carrying that charge for months can add hundreds of dollars to the price.

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 23

Delaying Marriage, a Home or Kids? One Delay Compounds Against You for Decades—Here’s Which

Delaying marriage, buying a home or having children can all change a household’s financial trajectory. But they do not operate on the same clock, and treating them as three versions of the same decision misses the biggest difference.

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 23

The Debt Husbands Forget to Mention—Until the Joint Mortgage Credit Pull Kills Your Rate

A joint mortgage application puts both spouses’ finances under the lender’s microscope, including debts one spouse may have neglected to mention. That credit pull can reveal credit-card balances, auto loans, student debt, missed payments, and other obligations that can change how a lender evaluates the application.

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 23

Americans Feel Worse About Their Finances This September—Should You Postpone a Big Purchase Too?

Americans entered September feeling less comfortable about their finances, and that mood could affect decisions about cars, appliances, travel, home projects, and other expensive purchases. A September Catawba College-YouGov survey found that 74% of Americans felt financial pressure from rising prices, while 68% said higher prices had caused them to…

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 23

IRS Gives Drought-Hit Farmers and Ranchers More Time to Replace Livestock and Defer Taxes

Farmers and ranchers who were forced to sell livestock because of drought may have additional time to replace those animals without immediately recognizing certain gains for federal tax purposes.

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 22