Dear Tax Talk, I currently hold a student loan at 6.75 percent to the tune of $75,000. I'm making $1,500 a month payments on this debt so it will be gone in 59 payments with $13,000 interest paid. I have ...

Many people believe they don't need estate planning because they think they don't have an estate. Or they think the value of their estate is not great enough to cause estate taxation, so what's the point? ...

Wedding day disasters come in all sizes, from lost rings and ruined bridal gowns to slip-and-fall and alcohol-related personal injuries to unpredictable weather events to plain old cold feet that can shut ...

In their ads, insurance companies often boast they have the lowest premiums around. The emphasis on price makes it very easy for consumers to fall under the spell of cheap insurance rates. "Our gut ...

Dear Dr. Don, I want to refinance my mortgage, but the balance is small enough that interest rate quotes I'm getting are higher than if I had a higher balance. I feel I have a lot of credit card debt, ...

Same-sex couples often jump through legal hoops when dealing with their joint finances -- and owning real estate is no exception. If the Supreme Court strikes down the law that defines marriage as the ...

After many years of falling, home prices appear to be back on the rise. Meanwhile, mortgage rates are near historic lows. Do you have any thoughts about what is driving the price increases, and whether ...

Dear Debt Adviser, I am a 71-year-old divorced woman with a lot of debt. I work part time to supplement Social Security. I own a house and a condo. I bought the condo when prices were high. I discovered ...

Martin McDermott's original retirement plan to live off bond dividends was derailed when the Federal Reserve took unprecedented measures to drive down interest rates to pull the economy out of a recession. ...

Dear Dr. Don, I got a federal college loan in my name for my son in 2004 for $20,000. I made on-time payments until 2006. At that time I was asked to consolidate the loan, which had a balance of $19,209. ...

Dear Insurance Adviser, I have a question about my home insurance. Does it cover leaks from old plumbing fixtures? If so, can I still file a claim after the repair has been fixed? -- Dan Dear Dan, Virtually ...

Debit Cards Best Prepaid Debit Cards Pros And Cons Of Prepaid Debit Cards Prepaid debit card use is exploding. They're now the fastest growing payment method. Americans spent about $37 billion on prepaid ...

Dear Dr. Don, This would be my first time refinancing a mortgage, so I have some questions. I'm wondering whether I should go ahead with refinancing and whether a quoted rate was a good deal. The bank ...

Americans are taking on car loans longer than six years more than in the past, according to Experian Automotive, and that's not the wisest financial choice for many people. According to the latest Experian ...

Foreclosure filings were up 2 percent nationally from April to May. According to RealtyTrac, a California-based firm that tracks foreclosures, these states had the highest rates of foreclosure in May. ...

Insurance Wildfires Wildfires Spark Home Insurance Preconditions Homeowners insurance will cover the loss or damage of your home in a wildfire, though getting and maintaining coverage can be difficult ...

Dear Driving for Dollars, I have a 2007 model-year car that had a problem that was covered under a car recall. The dealer did the repair and all was well until recently. However, when I called the dealership, ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Find the best mortgage rates in your area. Mortgages 4.14% (30-year fixed) 0.32 (average points) Mortgage rates jumped for the sixth ...

Dear Debt Adviser, I am so glad you recently posted a question about an elderly mother. My mother has dementia. Eight years ago, she opened a credit card for a family member who has now declared bankruptcy. ...

An irrevocable trust can be created to meet almost every goal -- whether it's to leave money to future generations in a way that ensures they won't squander it; bypass estate taxes on life insurance policies ...

Mortgage rates climbed for the sixth week in a row, making refinancers and potential homebuyers nervous. If it serves as consolation, rates are likely to stabilize for a few days until the Federal Reserve ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Find the best auto rates in your area. Auto Loans 4.1% (60-month, new car) 4.69% (36-month, used car) Auto loan rates were mixed ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Find the best credit card offers available. Credit Cards 13.02% (all fixed) 15.25% (all variable) Credit card rates remained unchanged ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Compare CD rates nationally and in your area. CDs 0.24% (1-year CD yields) 0.78% (5-year CD yields) Rates on certificates of deposit ...

Dear Tax Talk, We have a house that we bought from a bank in January of 2010 for $375,000 (at 5.375 percent interest), approximately $50,000 undervalue for the property, that we live in currently. It was ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Find the best home equity rates in your area. Home Equity 5.12% (line of credit) 6.09% (loan) Rates on loans backed by home equity ...

Dear Dr. Don, I have a 15-year mortgage with 57 monthly payments left at 5.5 percent interest. I owe about $44,000 on this mortgage. The home is worth about $300,000 if sold today. My daughter will be ...

Taxes Income Taxes The Skinny On Paying Estimated Taxes If you have income that isn't subject to withholding taxes , then you probably should be paying estimated taxes. It doesn't matter whether the untaxed ...

Real Estate What It Takes To Finance A Home Remodel People who dream of renovating a home -- or redoing just the kitchen or bathroom -- might wonder how other homeowners finance a home remodel that can ...

The federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, now being reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court, prevents gay couples from enjoying many of the same health insurance benefits as their straight counterparts. ...

Dear Bankruptcy Adviser, I filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy. I was hoping to get a modification from my lender, but they are just stringing me along. Can my wife file Chapter 13 to save our house using my income? ...

Dear Retirement Adviser, I have a Roth individual retirement account I opened in 2006. Since then, I was in a bad car accident and unable to work for five months. As a result of lost income, my medical ...

Dear Tax Talk, Can I take a sales tax deduction for taxes paid on building materials for my new home? The home is being built on land owned by myself and financed via a 35 percent down payment and construction ...

Preferred stocks, which are actually a hybrid between stocks and bonds, can be an attractive investment, thanks to their high dividend yields, currently around 5 percent, according to Morningstar. But ...

College Finance How Long Will It Take To Pay Off My Student Loan? These calculators will help you figure out how long it will take to pay off your student loan based on varying factors. Use the top calculator ...

Dear Debt Adviser, My wife and I have $32,000 in credit card debt. The good thing about this (if you can call it good) is we're paying zero percent interest over the next 12 to 18 months. My question focuses ...

Insurance Hurricanes Insuring Your Home Against Hurricane Damage No one likes thinking about damage to their home and property from hurricanes. But it happens, and sometimes it's catastrophic. Here's what ...

Dear Insurance Adviser, Is my ex-husband allowed to carry a life insurance policy on me and on my son from another marriage, without my consent? If not, what are the legal repercussions against him? -- ...

What a difference a couple of years makes. Back in 2007, homebuyers would beg to purchase your house. They would even bid more than the asking price for the privilege to do so. Today ... well, not so much. ...

College Finance How To Destroy Student Loan Debt Paying back student loans can be a greater challenge than earning a degree. According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 1 in 5 households carries student ...

College Finance What Is The ROI Of Your College Degree? Undergraduate tuition, possible graduate degrees, and room and board all add up -- especially for students taking out loans. But which degree and ...

Dear Dr. Don, My father is thinking of making me his beneficiary for his portfolio of stocks, most of them dividend-paying. Is this a good thing or not? Our relationship has not been the greatest and not ...

The tax challenges that same-sex married couples face can extend beyond the usual added work and extra expense of regular tax-return filing. Same-sex married couples who want to share their wealth must ...

Dear Dr. Don, I receive both Veterans Affairs and Social Security disability payments. Can my bank account be garnished for student loans taken out 12 years ago? Thank you, -- Troubled Tina Dear Tina, ...

Dear Driving for Dollars, I want to trade in my car for a new one, but I still owe about $11,000. How do I figure out if I have to put down any cash as a down payment on the new one or if I can just use ...

Taxes Tax Filing Tax Issues Of Same-Sex Marriage Gay and lesbian couples want relationship equality -- and are hoping to get that treatment with an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Defense of ...

The summer driving season has begun, and many Americans are getting ready to hitch up their boats, campers and trailers behind their cars as they head off for a weekend of fun. But that fun can quickly ...

Dear Tax Talk, We sold an inherited property in June 2011. Our tax preparation service is telling us we do not need to report the sale, but I don't think this is correct. We have never lived in the home, ...