Welcome to NerdWallet’s Smart Money podcast, where we answer your real-world money questions. In this episode: Learn how to maximize Southwest Companion Pass benefits and how to plan effective charitable giving to make your donations count.How can you get and use the Southwest Companion Pass? What’s the best way to plan charitable giving to make the most impact? Hosts Sean Pyles and Sara Rathner discuss travel savings and effective philanthropy to help you understand how to maximize rewards and make thoughtful donations. Sean begins by talking to travel Nerds Meghan Coyle and Sally French to discuss the Southwest Companion Pass,…

Financial stress is real right now. Maybe your job’s been affected, or unexpected health expenses have popped up. The kids are home for the holidays, and it feels like there’s a lot to juggle. You’re not alone—Vanguard Group saw early withdrawals from 3.6 percent of their 5 million customer accounts 2023, up from 2.8 percent in 2022. A question I hear often as a financial coach is whether it’s smart to dip into your retirement account, such as a 401(k). While it might seem tempting, here are five crucial questions you should ask yourself before deciding to withdraw or take…

For thousands of years, charitable giving has followed a familiar pattern: physical cash (or checks) handed directly to an organization. This was how I made my first charitable gift. At eight years old, when my parents gave me a weekly allowance, they encouraged me to be generous by giving $1 to our local church. Nervously, I brought my $1 to church that Sunday, waited for the offering basket, and dropped it in. Everything went smoothly, and I let out a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from my forehead. A New Paradigm Shift In Charitable Giving This traditional way of…

Delaware is very famous for having no sales tax and promoting a very pro-business environment through favorable legislation. Countless corporations have their legal headquarters in Delaware even if they largely reside and operate outside the state. Thus, despite its small size, Delaware is a hub for economic activity, as well as generating wealth. As part of an ongoing series, we’ve been analyzing ever state in the country in terms of what the most expensive ZIP codes are. Here, we’re investigating the most expensive ones in Delaware. Like so many other coastal states, Delaware possesses a line of beautiful beach towns,…

Before donating to charity, be sure to do your research. Ask a few questions to protect yourself from fraudulent schemes and increase the probability that your contribution will go directly to the cause you support. It would be disappointing to learn your charity spends much of its donations on overhead instead of good works. We don’t want to waste money with many people in need and meaningful causes to support. Here are five questions to ask before giving to a charity: Does Your Charity’s Mission Align With Your Values? You have many choices when it comes to giving to charity;…

For some years, various political and economic groups — typically aligned with Democrats — have pushed for laws and labor rules that would make it difficult for independent contractors to continue their businesses. Now Donald Trump has nominated a candidate for Secretary of Labor who has been a strong proponent of the reclassification efforts that would potentially undermine independent contractor status and interfere with their abilities to run their businesses and gainfully employ themselves. Legal pressures In various ways, those groups have promoted a framework from the 1930s called the ABC test. California, which incorporated the standard into a disastrous…

Thanksgiving is more than sitting down with family and friends, it is a time of reflection on blessings in our lives. At times, it takes a second chance at life to bring the greatest appreciation for so many things in life. Men like Irvin Mayfield know the feeling. After serving an 18-month federal prison sentence for fraud in 2022 he doubled down on his community efforts to be an example of what is possible when a second chance comes around. When Mayfield first performed at what was then the Orleans Parish Prison in 2004, Hurricane Katrina was soon to be…

A recent study highlighted in the Harvard Business Review examined the gap between retirement expectations and real-world applications. By observing how people transition from primary working years into the next life phase, it hoped to explore the keys to achieving a fulfilling retirement. Labeled the search for a “retirement without regrets,” it studied what might lead to a purpose-filled, happy retirement and what might not. Conducted by researchers affiliated with Harvard Business School and co-authored by Teresa M. Amabile, Lotte Bailyn, Marcy Crary, Douglas T. “Tim” Hall, and Kathy E. Kram, this decade-long research looked at two groups. The first…

If you’re headed out to take advantage of year-end new-vehicle clearance sales, or are just considering buying a new set of wheels in the coming weeks or months, it’s likely you’ll be offered any number of transaction add-ons before closing the deal. While experts advise shoppers decline most of them – like extended warranties, rustproofing and fabric protection – there is at least one that should be seriously considered, and that would be what’s known as “gap insurance.” With new-car prices averaging around $10,000 more than they were five years ago, and financing terms extending to as long as six,…

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, consumers are using Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) loans for everything from groceries and dining out to travel, technology items and home decor. CNBC’s Small Business Survey reported higher BNPL popularity among Black and Hispanic Americans with 12% and 13% respectively saying they use these platforms for holiday purchases, compared to only 5% of white Americans. Fast growing BNPL companies like Klarna and Affirm are expected to capitalize on this and set new records this season, driving $18.5 billion in online spend, up 11.4% from this time last year. The Breakdown You…