News is scary, but deposits are safe
Q: I'm 26, and I have a checking, savings and Roth IRA account at a bank that is on one firm's bank watch list.
Would preferred stock be a safe harbor?
Q: I'm sure I'm not alone in the pursuit of a safe place to invest.
Insurance come-on arrived in disguise
Q: I'm enclosing a letter I received from the government about long-term care insurance. I know the sender wants us to buy this so the government won't have to cover the expense, but why are my tax dollars going to pay for promotional letters?
Pay mortgage early? Ask questions first
Nicholson:Q: We just bought a new home and took out a mortgage of $250,000. It's a 30-year fixed mortgage and our interest rate is 6.25 percent. We decided not to escrow taxes and insurance, so our monthly payment of principal and interest is $1,539.29.
Don't be fooled: 'Investment' is insurance
Nicholson:Q: We met with a financial planner because his firm was offering a CD with a great rate. It turns out that his firm actually added two percentage points to the bank-issued CD as a way to entice people to come in and meet with advisers.
Even IndyMac CDs are safe - to a point
Nicholson:Q: I had some CDs with IndyMac Bank and was just waiting for them to mature until a friend told me that I needed to contact the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ASAP. Is this correct and if so, how do I go about contacting them and what do I need to tell them?
Death is fickle, so plan for retirement
Nicholson:Q: I am 53 years old and was diagnosed with breast cancer in October.
At 65, a thicket of questions about IRAs
Nicholson:Q: My husband is 59 and I am 65 years old. We file a joint tax return, and our 2008 adjusted gross income will be less than $100,000. I have several questions.
Term life policy is good safeguard
Nicholson:Term life insurance is almost always the best choice for pure protection. Everyone with loved ones dependent on their income should purchase term life insurance.
Indulged children refuse to help mom
Nicholson:Q: When my husband was working, we were very generous to our four children. We put them all through college, they all graduated without any debt, and for years we helped them out financially with outright gifts of money.
Medicare puts kink in retirement plan
Nicholson:Q: My wife and I have read that Medicare premiums for Part B may rise substantially in 2009 based on taxable income.
Understand estate plan before changing it
Nicholson:Q: I think my husband and I made a mistake several years ago concerning estate planning. He has passed away, and now I need to know what I can do to repair this mistake.
No point in trying to forecast election
Q. I read an article by the managing director of a firm that "caters to high net-worth individuals" concerning the impact the election may have on taxes, specifically the capital gains tax rate.
Converting to Roth IRA brings up complex rules
Q. I have received conflicting answers and would like to ask you the following: If I convert my traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, when can I withdraw the money?
College savings best in parents' names
Q. Many years ago when our children were young, we opened UTMA [Uniform Transfers to Minors Act] accounts for them at the urging of a stockbroker friend.
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