There are many good reasons to consider buying a life insurance policy, such as a recent marriage, a new baby, or taking on a large debt (like a house) loved ones would have trouble paying off if something happened to you. Or, perhaps you have witnessed first-hand the impact a death has on surviving family members’ finances.
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Family fights about aging loved ones are a common problem, with a parent’s diminished capacity to handle money being a frequent source of conflict. What can you do if you see a hassle brewing in your family? Can painful warfare be prevented? The short answer is yes, sometimes being proactive and looking ahead can stop
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Fair Isaac, the giant credit score company, recently announced the biggest change since 2014 in how it determines its FICO credit scores. This new FICO 10 system — expected to go into effect by year’s end — could affect your retirement in big ways, possibly for the worse and possibly for the better. But there
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A new hurdle awaits many younger consumers who already find it challenging to build a credit history and become good borrowing risks. It’s called FICO Score 10 Suite, an update to the credit scoring algorithms created by Fair Isaac Corp. that are widely used by credit card issuers and other lenders. It is scheduled to
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The most valuable of my mother’s assets was her home — a modest, 1,225 square-foot bungalow on Chicago’s south side with three bedrooms, a single bath, a large backyard, and a one-car garage. My mother bought the house in 1986 for $55,000, the equivalent of $123,000 today. She paid off the mortgage in 2011, which
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