It’s the most wonderful time of the year — unless you get scammed. “In this season of generosity, people let down their guards and tend not to be as skeptical as they would be the rest of the year,” says Christopher Elliott, founder of the consumer-ad… Continue reading
One frustrating thing for people eager to give wisely to charities: finding ones that truly make an impact. The big charity raters have done a great job sizing up nonprofits for overhead costs, transparency and executive pay. Impact, however, wasn’t pa… Continue reading
Last year, Paula Dofat started a new holiday tradition with her four sons, who range in age from 20 to 25. Instead of undergoing the stress of getting them gifts, which she says will likely just “go out of style, depreciate or just get thrown in the ba… Continue reading
We’re always curious how our readers feel about, and use, technology. So, we recently conducted a survey sponsored by Consumer Cellular to find out. The results were more than a little surprising. To be clear, the survey was more anecdotal than scienti… Continue reading
A growing concern for many people in their 50s or 60s: Will my mom or dad become the victim of elder fraud? Sadly, the chances are pretty good. In fact, at least 20% of older adults have been victims of elder financial abuse, according to the Center fo… Continue reading
As the mother of two college students, I continue to scratch my head about a simple question. How much do my sons need for spending money, and what portion of it should I provide? Unfortunately, experts say, there’s no one answer, either on the amount … Continue reading
Here are two eye-popping facts: Someone turning 65 will have a nearly 70% chance of needing long-term care in the future. And the annual cost of a private room in a nursing home (national median) is over $100,000 a year, according to the recent Genwort… Continue reading
This past summer, Next Avenue published “Retiring on a Shoestring,” about a newly retired couple trying to live well on a limited budget. It hit a nerve with readers. But even though it’s not easy to live large on savings, some retirees are enjoying th… Continue reading
Maybe you missed grade school lessons in key math skills that come in handy managing money as an adult. Or you just don’t remember them. Either way, trouble calculating 40% off for shoes, the amount to tip in a restaurant and even critical thinking can… Continue reading
You know the old expression, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” I sometimes feel that way about the high cost of health care. But Dr. Marty Makary, author of the new book about America’s health care system — The Pri… Continue reading