When Someone Uses Your SSN to File Taxes

Two years at about this time, I got this dreaded call from my tax preparer: “Someone has already filed a fraudulent tax return using your Social Security number. I can’t e-file your return,” he told me. Within a few weeks, dozens of my friends were in the same boat....

Wild About Warranties

Our household has had a lot of good luck lately getting warranties to pay off. You know, those little cards included with your electronics, household item, or appliance that say, “If this gizmo fails within x months, we’ll replace it free of charge.” My new mantra:...

Let Go of Financial Goals That Stress You Out

One of the first things financial planners suggest we do with our money—once we’re beyond the basics of getting our regular bills paid–is set some solid goals. For instance, is one of your goals to save up for a down payment on a house? Invest enough for a...

Giving to Charity When Money is Tight

One of the first tips I gleaned from money expert Suze Orman wasn’t about saving or spending. It was about giving. Her words have stayed with me for more than a decade—probably from when I read the first version of her book 9 Steps to Financial Freedom. Orman talked...

A Few Favorite Money Apps

Between my beloved Maps and Kindle reader apps (the ones I use most often!), I also have a few favorite money-related apps I tap regularly: 1Password. I seriously can’t live without this program and its related app. It’s my little version of financial peace of mind....

Paying Kids for Summer Chores and Goals

I’m over at Equifax today, blogging about kids and summer work. My kids have done some kind of summer earning since they were about 8. Both have had stints as dog-walkers, plant-waterers and cat-feeders. But this year, we’re taking the idea of summer money...

When Your Kid Messes up With Money

My 11-year-old daughter recently went on quite a spending spree. She gets a very modest allowance—$6 a week. So when she got home from an outing with a friend and her nanny, I was surprised to see her plop a big bag of goodies on the kitchen counter. Among the loot: A...