A payable-on-death beneficiary lets a brokerage or bank account pass to heirs without probate
When someone dies with money in a bank or brokerage account, that money can spend months tied up in probate court before an heir sees a dollar of it, unless the owner took one quiet step in advance. Naming a payable-on-death beneficiary lets an account skip probate entirely and pass straight to the named person. […]
Read MoreA payable-on-death beneficiary lets a brokerage or bank account pass to heirs without probate
When someone dies with money in a bank or brokerage account, that money can spend months tied up in probate court before an heir sees a dollar of it, unless the owner took one quiet step in advance. Naming a payable-on-death beneficiary lets an account skip probate entirely and pass straight to the named person. […]
Read MorePersonal Finance
Budgeting & Saving
Money-market funds can pay retirees more than a big-bank savings account while staying liquid
The cash a retiree keeps for emergencies and monthly bills does not have to sit in an account earning almost…
Personal Finance
Budgeting & Saving
Money-market funds can pay retirees more than a big-bank savings account while staying liquid
The cash a retiree keeps for emergencies and monthly bills does not have to sit in an account earning almost…
Markets & Investing
Banking & Credit Cards
Fraud & Scams
Naming a trusted contact on a brokerage account lets a firm step in if it spots a scam
A single line on a brokerage form, the name of a trusted contact, can be the difference between a scammer draining an account and a...
Fraud & Scams
Banks can now place a short hold on a suspicious withdrawal to stop elder financial abuse
For years, a bank teller who suspected an older customer was being scammed faced an uncomfortable choice: hand over the money as instructed, or risk...
Bank Accounts & Fees
A second-chance bank account can reopen the banking system after a ChexSystems black mark
Being turned down for a checking account can feel like a locked door, and for many older Americans it arrives without warning after an overdraft...
Fraud & Scams
Scammers are targeting people who already lost money, demanding an upfront fee to “recover” it, the FTC warns
Federal regulators are warning that con artists have a favorite new list of targets: people who have already been cheated once. A recent consumer alert...
Credit Cards & Rewards
You can dispute a credit-card billing error in writing and force the issuer to investigate
A wrong charge on a credit-card statement is not something a cardholder simply has to absorb. Federal law gives every consumer the right to challenge...
Bank Accounts & Fees
High-yield savings accounts still pay far more than the big banks’ near-zero rates
The gap between what an online high-yield savings account pays and what a big national bank offers has rarely been this wide. As of late...
Real Estate
Market Trends
A homestead exemption can shield part of a home’s value from creditors and trim the property-tax bill
Two homeowners with identical houses on the same street can owe very different property-tax bills and face very different exposure…
Retirement & Taxes
An income-only trust can qualify a retiree for Medicaid nursing care in states with a hard income cap
A PACE program covers all of a frail senior’s care with no premium for those on both Medicare and Medicaid
Medicaid lets you keep one home, one car and a prepaid burial while qualifying for nursing-home care