Your Money
Standing Out From the Crowd
By RON LIEBER
Young writers show an appetite for risk in college application essays about money, class and the economy, submitted at a columnist’s invitation.
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Full Student Essays
Wealth Matters
Telling the Truth on Fees, Warts and All
By PAUL SULLIVAN
When discussing investment returns, Evercore Wealth Management factors in fees, taxes and inflation — and loses some potential clients in the process.
Shortcuts
Women Know More About Finances Than They Get Credit For
By ALINA TUGEND
Research shows that men and women are more alike than the conventional wisdom suggests when dealing with money matters.
May 21, 2013
A $2,400 Fine for an Airbnb Host
By RON LIEBER
A New York man who rented his room in a two-bedroom apartment on Airbnb must pay a $2,400 fine for violating the city’s administrative code, a judge has ruled.
May 21, 2013
African-Americans See Debt Reduction as Top Priority
By ANN CARRNS
African-Americans have higher levels of debt, including student loan debt, a survey finds.
May 21, 2013
Tuesday Reading: Younger Children Seek Help for Acne
By ANN CARRNS
Younger children seek help for acne, no easy choices on breast reconstruction, protecting your e-mail account from hackers and other consumer-focused news from The New York Times.
May 20, 2013
Tips on Avoiding Phishing Frauds
By ANN CARRNS
A consumer group has prepared an “anti-phishing” tip sheet.
Your Money
Rebuilding After Sandy, but With Costly New Rules
By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD
A new law will cause flood insurance premiums to skyrocket and require stricter, and thus more expensive, rebuilding standards.
Wealth Matters
Getting the Full Picture on Annuities and Insurance
By PAUL SULLIVAN
While there are tax advantages to permanent life insurance or an annuity, fees and penalties can erase gains.
Your Money
A Credit Score That Ignores the Innocuous Mistake
By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD
One major credit score company, VantageScore, has decided not to downgrade a score for a collection action, as long as the bill was eventually paid.
Wealth Matters
Taxes Influence Investment Strategy, and Not Always for the Better
By PAUL SULLIVAN
Advisers say that taxes should not be the first concern when deciding whether to buy — or not buy — an investment.
A Vulnerable Age
Loans Borrowed Against Pensions Squeeze Retirees
By JESSICA SILVER-GREENBERG
Pension advances, federal and state authorities say, are carefully disguised loans that carry interest rates that are often many times higher than those on credit cards.
The Haggler
When Companies Get It Right
By DAVID SEGAL
Yes, it happens: Satisfied customers tell their stories to the Haggler.
Mortgages
The Seller Chooses a Lender
By LISA PREVOST
Advance legwork that can save sellers from wasting time on buyers who can’t find financing on their own.
Your Money
Financial Opposites in a Life Together
By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD
A couple tries to reconcile different money philosophies before opening a joint bank account to handle household expenses.
Wealth Matters
Estate Planning Remains a Moving Target Under the New Tax Law
By PAUL SULLIVAN
Even taxpayers who are exempt from the federal tax on estates under the American Taxpayer Relief Act may be wise to study how the law affects their estate planning.
Shortcuts
The Anxiety of the Unanswered E-Mail
By ALINA TUGEND
Often, not responding to an e-mail or telephone call might say “no” unintentionally, though sometimes that is exactly what we meant to say.
Wealth Matters
Measuring College Prestige vs. Cost of Enrollment
By PAUL SULLIVAN
Many students face a choice between a college that offers little financial aid but has a superior reputation or a less prestigious college that offers a merit scholarship.
Your Money
Budget Negotiating Chip Has Big Downside for Old and Poor
By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD
Many of those who would be affected by President Obama’s Social Security proposal face higher health costs and have little hope of working again.
Economic View
Before Housing Bubbles, There Was Land Fever
By ROBERT J. SHILLER
American real estate manias are as old as the nation itself, but until recently they were localized — and focused on land, not homes.
Your Money
Signs of Easier Money for Mortgages
By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD
There are signs that some lenders and mortgage insurers are beginning to loosen eligibility requirements since the days immediately after the housing bubble burst.
Wealth Matters
Technology’s Impact on the Value of Financial Advice
By PAUL SULLIVAN
Financial advisers are putting greater emphasis on technology, but it is unclear whether that is better for their clients.
Your Money
A Quick Electronic Signature at the Car Rental Office, and Then Trouble
By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD
Some Dollar Rent a Car customers say they unwittingly signed up for insurance even though they had verbally declined it.
Wealth Matters
Overseas Finances Can Trip Up Americans Abroad
By PAUL SULLIVAN
Average Americans who live and work in another country can run afoul of tax rules intended for the wealthy.
Shortcuts
You’ve Been Doing a Fantastic Job. Just One Thing ...
By ALINA TUGEND
People often hide constructive criticism inside a compliment, and those on the receiving end never hear it. Is there a better way to provide feedback?
Wealth Matters
Money Advice for Doctors and Lawyers and the Rest of Us
By PAUL SULLIVAN
Doctors and lawyers are big earners and smart people, but that does not necessarily mean they’re the best financial decision-makers.
As Child Care Costs Rise, Families Seek Alternatives
By SAM ROBERTS
Child care costs have nearly doubled since the mid-1980s, but the portion of families paying for care has dropped, according to a new Census Bureau report.
State of the Art
Breaking Free of the Cellphone Carrier Conspiracy
By DAVID POGUE
T-Mobile, the smallest of the Big Four cellphone carriers, steps away from the two-year, unbreakable contract that Sprint, Verizon and AT&T; live by.
Your Money
New Laws Take Guesswork Out of Investment Tax Liability
By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD
Investors will need to keep a sharp eye on their cost basis statements from brokers and banks, lest they invite an I.R.S. inquiry.
Wealth Matters
Protecting Wealth in Volatile Fields Like Real Estate and Technology
By PAUL SULLIVAN
Real estate and high technology may have little in common, but executives in both fields earn their wealth from volatile assets in a cyclical industry.
Wealth Matters
Money Advice for People in Boom-or-Bust Fields
By PAUL SULLIVAN
Some professions have tendencies as a group that can benefit from being managed, for example, oil and gas and professional sports.
Your Money
Fighting the Insurer Over Hurricane Sandy Damage
By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD
A Brooklyn couple say their insurance company will pay $49,000 for home repairs, while an adjuster they hired put the figure needed at $200,000.
Wealth Matters
College Admission Roulette: Ask for Financial Aid, or Not?
By PAUL SULLIVAN
Parents of children trying to get into college have long used their wealth to try to sway admissions officers. But that doesn’t always work.
Fundamentally
Investors Rediscover Risk-Taking Abroad
By PAUL J. LIM
As confidence in the global recovery grows, foreign investors who have long sought a safer place to put their money appear to be accepting more risk.
The Haggler
Calling Out the Robocaller
By DAVID SEGAL
Account Management Assistance offers to reduce credit card interest rates, but satisfied customers are scarce.
Your Money
In Paid Family Leave, U.S. Trails Most of the Globe
By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD
The United States has among the world’s worst leave laws for new parents or for tending to a sick child, prompting some family advocates to seek an overhaul of the rules.
Wealth Matters
Reasons to Avoid Buying Stocks, and Why You Should Ignore Them
By PAUL SULLIVAN
Investors are still scarred from the 2008 crash and they perceive stocks as risky, but stocks are more likely to provide a better return than bonds over the next few years.
Shortcuts
Sometimes It’s Good Not to Forgive
By ALINA TUGEND
How difficult is it, or should it be, to achieve redemption after a breach of trust?
Wealth Matters
Modern Safeguards for a Family-Owned Business
By PAUL SULLIVAN
The Phelan Brothers, owners of Taconic Farms, which breeds rodents for lab use, created a holding company as a way to maintain some family control over the business.
A Doubly Trying Tax Season for Same-Sex Couples
By PETER APPLEBOME
Even if a state recognizes same-sex marriage, federal law doesn’t — resulting in a maddening array of tax complications for gay couples.
The Five Stages of Retirement Planning Angst
By PAUL B. BROWN
The realization that we’re not saving enough for retirement can lead, in short order, to denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
The Haggler
Lost in the Stars of a Hotel’s Rating
By DAVID SEGAL
Three stars? Two stars? 2.5? A Hotwire customer describes a frustrating search for answers about a hotel’s rating, and enlists the Haggler’s help.
Your Money
More Than Pushing Cookies
By RON LIEBER
Selling Thin Mints and Samoas has brought Mary Ruiz self-esteem, money skills, a sense of accomplishment and some great electronic gear. Not bad for a 10-year-old.
The Cookie Titan of Tucson Wealth Matters
Family Foundations Prepare for the Next Generation
By PAUL SULLIVAN
As older generations transfer wealth to their children and grandchildren, it will transform how family foundations function from within.
Your Money
Signs That It’s Time for a New Broker
By RON LIEBER
A recent case of a stockbroker with Wells Fargo who stole from his customers is a cautionary tale for all investors.
Wealth Matters
A Simple Way to Invest Grows More Complicated
By PAUL SULLIVAN
Twenty years after the first exchange-traded fund was created, new variations are adding complexity to an investment vehicle that has been promoted as being simple.
Your Money
Disputing a Charge on Your Credit Card
By RON LIEBER
The cat and mouse game that goes on behind the scenes can be tilted more, or less, in your favor, depending on how you go about it.
Wealth Matters
What the Small Player Can Expect When Using a Lobbyist
By PAUL SULLIVAN
A professional lobbyist will cost money, sometimes a lot of it, but a small business needs to be prepared to spend considerable time as well.
The Haggler
When Customer Service Is a Dead-End Street
By DAVID SEGAL
The Haggler goes to bat for a bank customer run ragged by its phone system.
Wealth Matters
Rushing Into a Mortgage Can Prove Costly
By PAUL SULLIVAN
There are many ways that home buyers can end up paying more than they should, but consumers have to be vigilant to find those extra costs.
Your Money
Finding Advice for More Modest Retirement Investments
By RON LIEBER
More companies are popping up to help the vast majority of people who have at most several hundred thousand dollars to invest when they retire.
Your Money Primers
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Steps to Prevent Identity Theft, and What to Do if It Happens
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Life and Disability Insurance: What You Need to Know
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Health Insurance: What You Need to Know
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401(k)’s: What You Need to Know
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About Financial Planners: What You Need to Know
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Annuities: What You Need to Know
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Credit Scores: What You Need to Know
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Credit and Debit Cards: What You Need to Know
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Estate Planning: What You Need to Know
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Exchange-Traded Funds: What You Need to Know
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Income Taxes: What You Need to Know
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Home Insurance: What You Need to Know
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Mutual Funds: What You Need to Know
Retirement Special Section
How They Do It Elsewhere
Other countries’ retirement systems offer lessons for this nation.
Your Money Special Section
Emotion, Wild Card of Finances
In this special section, prepared with American Public Media’s “Marketplace Money” radio program, a series of stories illustrate where money and emotions collide.
Mortgages
Loan Qualifications for Retirees
By LISA PREVOST
For retirees seeking a mortgage, even a spotless credit history and ample retirement accounts may not do the trick.
Shortcuts
Complaining Is Hard to Avoid, but Try to Do It With a Purpose
By ALINA TUGEND
Many people have a love-hate relationship with complaining. It can be satisfying, but people who constantly whine about the same thing can be annoying.
Economic View
Today’s Dream House May Not Be Tomorrow’s
By ROBERT J. SHILLER
It’s hard to answer many questions about the future housing market — like whether homeownership or renting will be more advantageous.
Fair Game
Trying to Slam the Bailout Door
By GRETCHEN MORGENSON
Two senators know they’ll have to fight big banks to achieve passage of a bill to protect taxpayers from future bailouts.
Fundamentally
Rebalancing a Portfolio? Don’t Break the Seesaw
By PAUL J. LIM
In trying to remix their investments in stock and bonds, investors are finding no tried-and-true answers. But some basic choices can be made.
Strategies
If It’s Underground, Maybe Its Price Is, Too
By JEFF SOMMER
A market consensus has emerged: After a long price climb, the immediate prospects for many commodities have grown appreciably bleaker.
Fair Game
Daring to Knock on the Boardroom Door
By GRETCHEN MORGENSON
A mutual fund manager is posing a challenge to the richly paid directors of Occidental Petroleum.
Fair Game
If a Fund Turns on a Dime, Watch Your Dollars
By GRETCHEN MORGENSON
The demise of the Willow Fund, which was sponsored and sold by UBS, offers two lessons in investment risk.
Bucks Blog
Need a Financial Tuneup? Nominate Yourself Here
By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD
Tara Siegel Bernard of the Your Money team wants to come to your home and help you sort out your financial life. If you think you have a compelling case, nominate yourself in the comments section.
Fundamentally
Still at a Trot, This Bull May Have Farther to Go
By PAUL J. LIM
Bull markets typically do not die of old age, but from the side effects of a lengthy rebound.
Letting Down Our Guard With Web Privacy
By SOMINI SENGUPTA
Consumers insist that they treasure their online privacy. But their mouse clicks tell a far different tale, as the experiments of a behavioral economist show.
Younger Generations Lag Parents in Wealth-Building
By ANNIE LOWREY
A study finds that younger working adults are not doing better financially than the previous generation.
Your Money
For Parents-to-Be, a Few Financial and Legal Tips
By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD
Having a baby is a wonderfully happy time and also a stressful one, so it pays to get your financial house in order for the sake of you, your partner and your new child.
Shortcuts
In Mindfulness, a Method to Sharpen Focus and Open Minds
By ALINA TUGEND
Misconceptions surround the practice of mindfulness, which is part meditation and part a greater awareness of the things around you.
Fair Game
On the Waiting List at the Debt-Rating Club
By GRETCHEN MORGENSON
Legislators have tried to open the world of credit-ratings agencies to more competition. But for one small firm, it’s been tough to gain federal recognition.
Strategies
The Dice Are Rolling on Dell’s Legacy
By JEFF SOMMER
Michael Dell’s buyout offer for his company is an apparent bet that he can get it back on track in the midst of industry upheaval.
Shortcuts
How to Stop a Home Invasion When the Intruder Has Four Legs
By ALINA TUGEND
Wildlife experts say that how you address the problem depends on the extent of the invasion. And once the animal is gone, you need to figure out how it got into your house.
Strategies
Apple May Be Big, but It Isn’t a Bellwether
By JEFF SOMMER
In good times and bad, Apple’s stock has often gone its own way. But shares of I.B.M., whose market value isn’t as high, still appear to have more influence on the overall market.
Economic View
A New Housing Boom? Don’t Count on It
By ROBERT J. SHILLER
Despite noises about a turning point in the housing market, the data doesn’t suggest any particular path for future prices.
Shortcuts
When You Don’t Do What You Meant To, and Don’t Know Why
By ALINA TUGEND
Two books scheduled for release in March look at why we often do not make the right decisions — or follow through on the ones we planned — and how we can change that.
I.H.T. Special Report: Net Worth
Special Report: Net Worth
Spreading the Risk With Real Estate
By SONIA KOLESNIKOV-JESSOP
Commercial real estate has long had a place in the portfolios of wealthy investors, who see it as a useful diversification away from more volatile assets like stocks or bonds.
Multimedia
When Athletes Go Broke
A look at professional competitors who lost the millions of dollars they earned in sports.
Your Money Special Section: Which Way Home?
First-Time Homeownership is Still Beyond Reach
Despite the fall of prices nationwide, the cost of buying a home in some parts of the country can still be beyond reach for a young, working couple.
Post a Comment
Talking Money With Elmo
In the wake of the financial crisis, "Sesame Street" is teaching children financial literacy. Ron Lieber talks to Elmo about saving and sharing.
Managing Your Money Through the Ages
An interactive checklist to help navigate ways to prepare and secure your financial future at each stage of life.
The Sketchpad: Personal Finance on a Napkin
Carl Richards, a financial planner, has been explaining the basics of money through simple graphs and diagrams.
31 Steps to a Financial Tuneup
A customizable checklist to guide your own financial tuneup, providing tips, the time needed to achieve them and links to additional resources.
Calculators
The 1% More Savings Calculator
What would happen to your savings balances if you saved just one percent more a year?
Interactive: College Cost Calculator
An interactive tool to estimate the future cost of higher education.
Calculate Your Financial Comeback
See how long it could take for your portfolio to return to its peak value.
Your Money Contributors
Paul Sullivan
writes Wealth Matters, a column looking at strategies that the wealthy use to manage their money and their overall well-being.
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