Search

Understand Discharge Rates for Defrauded Student Loan Borrowers 01/30/2018 07:00pm • Mid-February will mark the third and final borrower defense negotiated rule -making session with the U.S. Department of Education, affected parties and borrower advocates. The driving force behind the need to modify the borrower defense regulations was the sudden closure of Corinthian Colleges in A With Trump's New Tax Plan, Will You Need a Tax Preparer? 01/29/2018 07:00pm • On Dec. 22, 2017, President Donald Trump signed the Republican tax plan into law. But now your work is just beginning. That is, you'll be doing your taxes soon, or hiring someone else to do them. And if you've hired a tax preparer for years to do your taxes, you may well wonder if this is the year y 4 Financial Mistakes to Avoid Repeating This Year 01/29/2018 07:00pm • You're likely well on your way to (hopefully) keeping your 2018 resolutions, but you may also benefit from looking back on the past year to see where you may have fallen short financially. Maybe you spent too much on things you didn't need, made an unwise investment, or got behind on your savings. How to Help Adult Children Become Financially Independent 01/28/2018 07:00pm • It's natural for parents to want to provide for their children -- perhaps even after their kids are no longer kids at all. Increasingly, parents are continuing to financially assist their children well into adulthood. But while giving your kids monetary help can provide a lifeline in the short term What is a 401(k)? 01/28/2018 07:00pm • A 401(k) plan is a workplace retirement savings account. 401(k) accounts get their odd name from the section of the tax code that created and governs them. Workers and employers can both make deposits to the account until they hit annual contribution limits. The federal government provides tax brea When Paying $100,000 for a Graduate Degree Is Worth the Cost 01/28/2018 07:00pm • The decision to go to graduate school is usually an expensive one, and most students are willing to borrow large sums of money for an advanced degree. According to Sallie Mae's inaugural report on " How America Pays for Graduate School," the majority of grad students say an advanced degree is the n Maryland beefs up consumer protection to cover federal rollback 01/26/2018 11:08pm • WASHINGTON — Maryland is taking steps to implement the findings of a commission set up to protect consumers. The legislature set up the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission last year. The goal: provide safeguards for consumers should the federal government roll back regulations tar 11 Steps to Make a Million With Your 401k 01/25/2018 07:00pm • This major milestone can be attained.It's not a magic number, but when your 401(k) finally hits the $1 million mark, it certainly feels like a major milestone. You're not there, yet? Not even close? Well, consider the average cost of retirement is $738,400, according to Merrill Lynch's 2017 Finances A Reverse Mortgage Can Be Smart Investment 01/25/2018 07:00pm • Reverse mortgages, or home equity conversion mortgages, are touted as a way for homeowners live longer and more affordably in their homes. And while most seniors do so out of necessity, a reverse mortgage can also be part of an investment strategy or insurance policy that extends retirement savings Consider Doing Some Financial Housecleaning in the New Year 01/25/2018 07:00pm • The new year is a time when many of us make money resolutions and set goals for the upcoming year. The more concrete the goal, the more likely you are stick to it and see it through. Financial goals are especially relevant for the new year because many components of our finances, such as earning in How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft 01/25/2018 07:00pm • For cyber thieves, your personally identifiable information is as good as gold. Your name, email address, phone number, Social Security number, passwords and other information can allow criminals to wreak havoc on your financial accounts, medical records, credit health and even your job prospects. 6 Ways to Save on Rent and Expenses When You're Trying to Buy a House 01/25/2018 07:00pm • Taking the leap from renter to homeowner is exciting, but it's often harder than many anticipate. Even if the common hindrances of student loans and car payments aren't weighing you down, the amount you pay in rent can make saving up for your down payment next to impossible. In 2017, the national me What's Your Number? The Ins and Outs of Net Worth 01/24/2018 07:00pm • If you want to know your financial value, forget about your credit score. Instead, the number you really want to know is your net worth. It boils all your money decisions down to one figure that represents your financial standing. "People are worth a lot more than money," says Hans Scheil, a certif How to Make a Budget -- and Stick to It 01/23/2018 07:00pm • For many consumers, the cornerstone of a healthy financial life is a strong budget. "A budget is a very powerful tool," says Jamie Ebersole, a certified financial planner in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts. "It gives you the ability to think further ahead so you can make plans for goals coming up." Alternative to Student Loans: Income-Share Agreements 01/23/2018 07:00pm • As concerns mount over rising student debt loads, income-share agreements have attracted attention as a possible funding alternative for students and families. These aren't new -- economist Milton Friedman developed the basic ISA framework in the 1950s. But the concept received a major reboot when P