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10 Ways to Increase Your Social Security Payments 02/11/2019 07:00pm • Boost your payout.The amount of your Social Security payments depends on your earnings history and the age you sign up for benefits. Try these strategies to maximize your payments:Work for at least 35 years.Social Security benefits are calculated based on the 35 years in which you earn the most. If What Will it Take to Save Flint, Michigan? 02/11/2019 07:00pm • FLINT, Mich. -- Zaniyah Burns was born at 10:35 on a cool September night. Even as a baby everyone said she favored her father, with his full cheeks and wide brown eyes, but as she grew from a quiet toddler into a smiley little girl it became obvious she also had her mother's kind spirit. Every mor What Does a Financial Advisor Do? Advisors Share Their Day-to-Day 02/11/2019 07:00pm • Financial advisors help investors untangle the knot of their financial lives. They help clients draw a line from where they are today to where they want to be and then provide financial guidance to get them there. Financial advisors can be a significant part of their clients' entire lives. "As retir Could Losing Weight Lower My Risk of Cancer? 02/11/2019 07:00pm • According to the latest data released by the American Cancer Society, cancer deaths have declined by more than one-quarter (27 percent) over a 25-year span, from 1991 to 2016. But countering that trend, obesity-related cancer is increasing. Previous research indicates that, as noted in the ACS' Canc How to Deal With Debt Collectors 02/11/2019 07:00pm • Debt collectors are a necessary evil in the U.S. credit system, but in some cases, their tactics can be predatory or even illegal. If you've been contacted by a debt collector for a past-due balance, going into the process blindly can give the collection agency the upper hand. Instead, educate yours How to Donate Your IRA Required Minimum Distribution to Charity 02/11/2019 07:00pm • After years of contributing to tax-deferred 401(k)s and IRAs, income tax is due on that money when you take withdrawals in retirement. Annual withdrawals from traditional retirement accounts are required after age 70 1/2, and the penalty for skipping a required minimum distribution is 50 percent of Anne Arundel Co. may ban plastic lunch trays, takeout containers 02/11/2019 03:06pm • WASHINGTON — Anne Arundel County, Maryland, may soon be making the switch from plastic to paper when it comes to takeout containers and lunch trays. This is the second attempt by Democrats in the county to ban polystyrene containers, which are used for school lunch trays and takeout containers How to buy a lower mortgage rate (and other first-time buyer tips) 02/11/2019 09:05am • WASHINGTON — First-time homebuyers find themselves going through a steep and fast learning curve once they get serious about buying. Every lender charges differently for closing costs, but generally they include an appraisal, credit report, title policy, pest inspection, recording fees and taxe 5 Things Around the World to Watch 02/10/2019 07:00pm • Saturday, Feb. 9Turkey's call for an end to the mass incarceration of the ethnic minority Uighurs in China. The Sunni Muslim group is concentrated in China's far western region of Xinjiang and have been accused of being connected to terrorism after a series of violent incidents in the area. This pas How to Invest Unneeded Social Security Benefits 02/10/2019 07:00pm • It will be hard for many to imagine, but some retirees don't really need their Social Security benefit. They may have hit the lottery or scored an inheritance, had stunning investing results or simply found their expenses aren't as high as expected. Still, the benefit has value that can be put to u Alexandria property tax assessments are coming: Residential up 2 percent 02/08/2019 10:12am • WASHINGTON — The Alexandria City Council will review 2019 property assessments next week, and most homeowners will see an increase. For 2019 assessments, 49 percent of single-family homes will see an increase, and 57 percent of condominium owners will see an increase. The average residential as Deal reached for Virginia tax plan 02/08/2019 08:54am • WASHINGTON — Virginia leaders have reached an agreement on tax changes, which will allow the state to start processing tax returns and refunds and will provide additional refunds later this year. The plan set to be approved in the House and Senate next week, and approved in principle Friday mor Why You Shouldn't Coast With 529 Investments 02/07/2019 07:00pm • Optimizing an investment in your child's 529 plan is more important now than ever, with college costs rising significantly higher than the rate of inflation over the past decade. "If you are going to grow the money invested in a 529 plan faster than the tuition inflation monster is shrinking it, yo How the Midterms Impact the Market in 2019 02/07/2019 07:00pm • With the federal government shutdown over and the 116th Congress finally getting into gear, how will a divided congress affect the stock market in 2019? Let's think about the economics behind the question. With a united Congress, obviously it's easier to pass legislation than if the Congress is divi How to Build a Balance Sheet 02/07/2019 07:00pm • While you may consider a balance sheet to be an essential financial statement for a company, assessing your own personal assets, equity and wealth in a well-laid-out financial report is equally important. Typically updated at least once a year, these financial documents outline how much someone owns