Black Friday is fast approaching, and shoppers are gearing up. The National Retail Federation expects more than 183 million people to shop over the weekend spanning Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday this year. But fraudsters are preparing for Black Friday too, looking for opportunities to steal your money or personal information. Before you dive into holiday shopping, learn how to spot common scams and protect yourself. 1. Phony order and delivery notificationsFraudsters commonly send phishing emails and text messages impersonating delivery services or popular retailers like Amazon. These messages, which typically claim there’s an issue with processing or delivering the order,…

Most employee retirement plans are governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”), which provides the legal construct and restrictions by which such plans are to be created and administered. Compliant ERISA plans are also awarded with favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code. Importantly, at least for us here, ERISA plans are typically protected from creditors by the so-called “anti-alienation” protection found at 29 U.S.C. § 1056(d)(1), which provides simply: “Each pension plan shall provide that benefits provided under the plan may not be assigned or alienated.” If a debtor lands in bankruptcy, this anti-alienation protection has…

Black Friday deals are everywhere right now, and many of the major streaming services will probably announce special promotions to entice new customers soon, too.If you’re thinking about “cutting the cord,” or switching from a traditional cable provider to a streaming service, this might be a good time to try it.“The deals that will be coming out will be attractive to new subscribers and most likely will be basic plans with ads,” Chad Gammon, an Iowa-based certified financial planner, said in an email interview. While some streaming services might also offer deals on plans without ads, Gammon, who owns Custom…

With home values on the rise, HELOCs have become a popular way for homeowners to tap into their growing equity. A report from CoreLogic shows that U.S. homeowners with mortgages—about 62% of all homes—have gained a total of $1.3 trillion in home equity since mid-2023. That’s an 8% increase in one year, bringing total homeowner equity to more than $17.6 trillion. These flexible credit lines, which come with lower interest rates than most loans, are seeing a surge in demand; HELOC borrowing limits have increased for 10 consecutive quarters, adding $9 billion in the latest round. Keep in mind, the…

In August the Justice Department started the Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program and it has already resulted in 200 people providing tips. Whistleblowing programs are an essential weapon in the combatting white collar crime where complex crimes are often difficult to discover without insider information. The program applies to crimes of financial institutions that goes beyond traditional banks to include cryptocurrency businesses as well as foreign criminal corporate acts and health care fraud schemes involving private insurance plans. The Justice Department’s whistleblower program applies to people who provide original, non-public and voluntary information of criminal conduct that leads to financial…

Pamela de la Fuente leads NerdWallet’s consumer credit and debt team. Her team covers credit scores, credit reports, identity protection and ways to avoid, manage and eliminate debt. Previously, she led taxes and retirement coverage at NerdWallet. She has been a writer and editor for more than 20 years.Pamela joined NerdWallet after working at companies including Hallmark Cards, Sprint Corp. and The Kansas City Star.She is a thought leader in content diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and finds ways to make every piece of content conversational and accessible to all.She is a graduate of the Maynard Institute’s Maynard 200 program,…

This article explores various car financing options available to individuals with less-than-perfect credit. It delves into dealership financing, credit union loans, subprime auto loans, and online lenders, discussing their pros, cons, and how to improve your chances of loan approval. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or looking to upgrade your vehicle, this guide will provide valuable insights to help you navigate the car financing process even with no or low credit. Overview Of Credit And Its Impact On Car Financing Credit is a financial tool that allows individuals to borrow money with the agreement to repay it over time. Lenders…

A 2010 Time Magazine article about the plateau effect—Americans not seeing significant rises in happiness levels as income rises above $75,000—inspired my first intensive study on the relationship between money and happiness. Though roughly 15 years have passed, and more nuanced conclusions have been analyzed, the eye-opening revelation remains an essential reminder for retirees. Namely, happiness isn’t only about the money itself. What people do with that money can often be the difference between a happy and unhappy retirement. In many ways, a happy retiree is what a happy retiree does, so I’ve conducted several surveys over the years asking…

In my first article on budgeting, Make Your Budget Fun Again By Conserving Your Precious Willpower, I explored why most people dislike budgeting: they are often trying to control an unpredictable future. This approach is exhausting and drains the limited willpower we are meant to conserve. A better method is to focus primarily on tracking your income and expenses—observing your present situation—which can be done with consistent success and requires very little willpower once it becomes a habit. Tracking serves as a guiding light, helping you navigate unexpected twists in your financial journey with greater ease. Once you have made…

Millions of student loan borrowers face an uncertain future as a second Trump administration prepares to return to Washington. But borrowers can start taking steps now to prepare for anticipated changes to student loan forgiveness and repayment. The fate of several Biden administration-era student debt relief initiatives, such as the new SAVE plan and broad loan cancellation, may be sealed. But the future of other programs, including some popular loan forgiveness programs, is murkier. Student loan borrowers don’t have direct control over court rulings, legislative priorities or policy directives. That doesn’t mean, however, that nothing can be done to gear…