Search

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 10 Things to Know When Reading Your Financial Aid Letter 01/23/2018 07:00pm • Understand Your Financial Aid LetterAs early as March, college-bound students will start receiving financial aid award letters to colleges where they've been accepted. These letters outline aid packages -- which are usually broken down into a combination of loans, scholarships, grants and work-study Why Investors Must Start Early to Save for College 01/23/2018 07:00pm • By the time you finish this sentence, the National Student Loan Debt Clock will have ticked off another $25,000. The average debt for a college graduate is now more than $37,000, up 6 percent from the previous year. Even if Johnny Grad is lucky enough to land a loan at 2 percent and pays off $300 a 7 ETFs to Buy as Interest Rates Rise 01/23/2018 07:00pm • Interest rates will be going higher.Love it or hate it, one of the biggest drivers of the economic recovery and stock market rally over these last nine years has been the U.S. Federal Reserve. The institution embarked on innovative and unconventional strategies, including near-zero interest rates, t Investors Can Benefit from Rising Interest Rates 01/21/2018 07:00pm • Rising interest rates may not be optimal for everyone, but it could mean above-average performance for financial sector investors this year, making the asset class a worthy component of a balanced portfolio. Banks make their money on the difference between the interest rate they charge to borrowers Litigation Finance: How Wall Street Invests in Justice 01/21/2018 07:00pm • On Wall Street, money never sleeps. Money managers controlling trillions of dollars in assets devote their professional lives to finding the best opportunities to earn a return for the lowest amount of risk. In this environment, an obscure field called litigation finance is thriving. Necessity, as How to Invest in the Late Stages of a Bull Market 01/21/2018 07:00pm • In his spare time, Mark Struthers, a financial planner based in suburban Minneapolis, is a runner and triathlete. So too is his son, who is a bit newer to the sport, and the two men sometimes train together. "One of my biggest jobs is to mentally prepare him for things he has not actually experienc