Smart About Money: “No one told me that” – Life & Money After High School
Anyone graduating from high school in 2020 has had a unique opportunity to see first-hand and very young how life actually works. In life,…
Smart About Money: If you’re determined to be more prepared next time …
Over the course of the past several weeks, the entire world has been through what will almost certainly be an indelible experience of…
Smart About Money: Gift cards are “real money”
It’s all too easy to lose track of the reality that gift cards are cash equivalents. A skeptical consumer might wonder if the companies…
Smart About Money: “But I haven’t really thought about it …”
A personal finance blogger recently wrote a post encouraging his readers to beware of financial “experts” offering “contrarian advice.” His…
Smart About Money: Should you make yourself balance your checking account every month?
A lot of people never balance their checking accounts. They have various reasons that mostly all boil down to the fact that they think it’s…
Smart About Money: Can I get a mortgage or home equity line if I'm retired?
Writing in The Wall Street Journal’s Wealth Management Report, retired senior editor Carol Hymowitz said there is “no single road map or…
Smart About Money: But what if the world doesn't end?
In Martin Scorsese’s “American Masters” documentary about Bob Dylan, Dylan recalls how as a boy he and his classmates had to practice…
Smart About Money: When the bank won't make you whole ...
One of the biggest misconceptions about banks involves bank insurance. Specifically, many people believe that the FDIC and SIF insurance…
Smart About Money: "Don't let clickbait rob you of your dreams ..."
Clickbait is one of the biggest nuisances on the internet but the concept existed long before computers. People have been using words to…
Smart About Money: "If only she'd looked at her bank statements sooner ..."
A local news network’s web site recently recounted an unfortunate story about something that absolutely did not have to end up the way it…
Smart About Money: "Only send money to people you know ..."
The other day, a colleague told me about what seemed to be a public service announcement (PSA) on the radio. It was addressed to young…
Smart About Money: Should people be required to have cash reserves?
Personal finance expert Suze Orman often speaks about the importance of “expecting the unexpected,” and she’s right. Of course, sometimes…