Ways you can stop frustrating robocalls
Dear Savvy Senior: Is there anything I can do to stop perpetual robocalls? It seems like I get five to 10 a day on my home and cell phone, and I’m sick of it! —Frustrated Frank Dear Frank, Robocalls make up around 50 percent of all phone calls today, and it’s only getting worse. Americans were hit with 26.3 billion robocalls in 2018, a whopping 46 percent increase from the year... READ MORE
Is umbrella insurance worth purchasing?
We never dreamed that a short story about umbrella insurance would be the top-ranked article in Kiplinger’s monthly reader survey, but that’s exactly what happened when we tackled the topic in July 2018. The article also generated plenty of reader mail. Many of you wrote to ask us to revisit the topic and help you determine how much umbrella coverage you need — and to do just that, ... READ MORE
Cash rules as stocks and bonds waver
Suddenly, cash is king again. For years, cash languished at the bottom of the investment rankings, weighed down by nearly non-existent interest rates. But with the Federal Reserve raising short-term rates four times last year, money-market funds and online savings accounts began paying interest that came close to approaching inflation. This while stocks, bond funds and gold all posted ... READ MORE
Tax strategies for approaching retirement
When steady income from employment stops, it’s replaced with other sources, such as pensions, Social Security and investments. You can usually control when to start these income sources and — in the case of investments — decide which account to pull money from, as different accounts may have different tax consequences. This gives you a chance to explore tax strategies that can have ... READ MORE
Are index funds becoming too popular?
Forty years ago, the thought of buying a stock index fund was ridiculed. Why would anyone be satisfied with an investment that promised nothing more than the same return as the market? Later this year, however, U.S. stock index funds may for the first time control more in assets than mutual funds run by stock-picking managers who are trying to deliver better returns than an index like... READ MORE
Some smart moves in a volatile market
Down 650 points one day. Up more than 1,000 points the next. Down 660 points another day. That was the Dow Jones industrial average’s performance just during one week in January. How should investors handle these market ups and downs? In the short term, just take a deep breath and don’t panic. “Turn off, or at least turn down, the financial talking heads,” said financial planner... READ MORE
Avoid costly mistakes when buying a car
In the excitement of buying a new (or used) car, it’s easy to forget critical details that wind up costing you money. I learned this over more than a decade of buying dozens of test cars for the automotive site Edmunds. No matter how much experience I got, I always consulted my car-buying checklist and updated it based on what I learned. Once you’ve decided on the type of car you... READ MORE
How to handle stock market’s volatility
It’s normal to worry about your portfolio when the stock and bond markets become volatile and when you see your portfolio fall significantly in value. It’s natural to wonder what to do, if anything, to protect your portfolio. The best general advice is to keep focused on long-term objectives. Ideally, you have structured your portfolio based on long-term objectives. If so, you... READ MORE
More investors buying cannabis stocks
The movement toward legalized marijuana use in North America is gaining ground. Last November’s midterm elections saw Missouri and Utah join 31 other U.S. states where medical marijuana is legal. Michigan voters made their state one of 10 (plus the District of Columbia) where recreational use isn’t a criminal offense. Canada recently became the first industrialized nation to legalize ... READ MORE
Social Security calling? It’s likely a scam
For the past few years, the media have widely reported on scammers who call unsuspecting victims pretending to be representatives of the IRS. They claim the potential victim owes money and encourage them to make payments using credit cards, debit cards or even gift cards. Amazingly, thousands of people have fallen for the scam and have collectively lost tens of millions of dollars. As... READ MORE
