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3 Ways to Maximize Your Tax Refund 03/01/2017 07:00pm • Expecting a tax refund? Join the club. In 2016's filing season, the average tax refund was close to $2,800 and about 75 percent of Americans received one, according to TurboTax. That's a significant windfall, and it's easy to look at that money as something to spend frivolously. While a little splu Know Your Rights When You're on the Phone With a Debt Collector 03/01/2017 07:00pm • First the bad news: A debt collector can call, text or write you to request payment for a debt you owe. The good news: There are limits to what a collector can do when talking to you. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act prohibits collection agencies from being abusive, harassing or deceptive when 6 Tips for Choosing a Real Estate Agent 02/28/2017 07:00pm • Selling a home has become easier over the years with online services to help the seller set a price and advertise, but most homeowners still hire a real estate agent. While many agents have deep experience and know their markets intimately, newcomers abound -- people looking to cash in when the mark Navigate Tax Refund Seizures for Student Loan Repayment 02/28/2017 07:00pm • We've received dozens of questions the past few weeks regarding tax refund garnishment. This is a topic we've covered in the past, but considering the volume of student loan borrowers reaching out to us for help this year, let's take another look. The following questions are real but may have been e How to make a margin account work for you 02/28/2017 08:39am • WASHINGTON — Even the wealthiest of clients can sometimes find themselves cash poor. In times of a cash crunch, often the first thought is to find a bank to loan you money. In some circumstances, that solution may be appropriate. For cases where there are credit issues, cash needs that aren’t 9 Estate Transfer Issues to Avoid 02/27/2017 07:00pm • As Benjamin Franklin famously quipped, nothing is certain in this world except death and taxes. While no one likes to think about their own mortality, developing an estate plan can be a loving way to continue caring for your family even after you are gone. The basics of an estate plan could include How Millennial Investors Can Avoid Sabotaging Their Retirement 02/27/2017 07:00pm • When it comes to saving and investing for retirement, millennials are a mixed bag. According to Wells Fargo's 2016 Millennial Study, 41 percent of young adults still aren't saving for their later years. Research from Fidelity shows that millennials who are saving are increasing their savings rate st Facts About Borrowing Specialized MBA Loans 02/26/2017 07:00pm • More b-school students are turning to specialized MBA loans to fund their postgraduate education. Renata Arauz-DeStefano, a 27-year-old student at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, decided to borrow specialized MBA loans over graduate PLUS loans to pay for school. "Like a How to Invest in Stocks 02/26/2017 07:00pm • In popular culture, the stock market is thought of as a machine for wealth creation. Many people know or have heard of someone who's made a fortune buying and holding stocks. But finding the next Apple (ticker: AAPL) is harder than it seems. Still, while no how-to list can show you definitively how Financial Conversations to Have as Your Children Grow Up 02/26/2017 07:00pm • Regardless of your own wealth and assets or confidence in your individual financial knowledge, passing along money and investment principles to your children starting at a young age and continuing throughout their early adulthood can help prepare them for a sound financial future. This education is Why You Shouldn't Raid Your Retirement Fund for a Child's College Education 02/23/2017 07:00pm • It's a classic debate between money managers at the local coffee shop or watering hole: Should parents looking for college cash use their retirement plans to get the money? One issue is already clear -- increasingly, parents want their children to take on more of the financial responsibility of col The Financial Risks of Buying a Non-Warrantable Condo 02/23/2017 07:00pm • With apartment and condominium community development more common in major metro areas, it makes sense for many homebuyers -- especially first-timers -- to purchase a condo rather than jump into the overcrowded single-family homebuying pool. But before you put in an offer on a condo in a building th How to Break a Contract Without Paying Dearly 02/23/2017 07:00pm • We're taught to keep our promises, but sometimes staying true to our word can be financially devastating. Clearly, you should never flake out on a promise to take grandma out to dinner. But if you've signed a lengthy financial contract with a gym, a cellphone company, a bank or a landlord, continui Hogan priorities on transportation funding, ethics reforms head to committee 02/23/2017 06:25pm • By Jacob Taylor, Capital News Service ANNAPOLIS, Maryland -- Lawmakers this week began hearing testimony and debating several key pieces of Gov. Larry Hogan's legislative agenda, including his proposed repeal of the Maryland Open Transportation Investment Decision Act of 2016. The act, which Hoga 3 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score 02/22/2017 07:00pm • A good credit score goes a long way to a brighter financial future, but there's still a lack of understanding about what goes into this figure. In a Capital One Credit Confidence Study from January, 53 percent of 2,300 survey respondents say they are very confident when it comes to understanding cre