Personal Finance
Land contracts can offer a path to homeownership without a traditional mortgage, but the financial responsibilities involved are not always straightforward. Property tax obligations in particular depend on how the contract is structured, and misunderstanding them can lead to serious financial consequences for either party. Here is what to know…
You inherited an IRA from a beneficiary, not the original owner. That distinction matters because you generally assume the existing distribution schedule and don’t start a new timeline. As a result, your options may be more limited than what is available for direct beneficiaries. Overlooking these requirements could accelerate withdrawals,…
Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles workplace questions each week for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of SHRM, the world’s largest trade association of human resources professionals, and author of Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval. Question: Some of the most important conversations and…
Your insurance company has a product for you. It protects you against a rate increase — from your own insurance company. That’s accident forgiveness in a sentence. You pay your insurer extra money now so it promises not to punish you later. It’s insurance on your insurance, sold by the…
Some meal kit customers are opening their deliveries to an unwelcome surprise: missing ingredients, incomplete orders and even spoiled food. Subscribers of Blue Apron and Marley Spoon have taken to social media in recent weeks to share photos and stories of botched deliveries, raising concerns about whether their next box…
Diamonds may certainly be statements of wealth, but what they do not have is a market price you can check before breakfast. Resale depends on the individual stone, its grade, and a buyer who wants that particular diamond. Gold is more standardized. Bullion trades against a widely quoted spot price,…
Taxes never feel so burdensome as during tax season, when you contemplate how much of your income you hand over to the IRS. And if you happen to live in Oregon or Massachusetts, you may be feeling that burden more than most. Oregon has the highest effective tax rate of…
Dollar Tree is famous for its baseline price of $1.25 (formerly $1) for most items. Even the store’s grocery aisles are filled with food items at that affordable price. I try to live frugally, so I headed to my local Dollar Tree store, curious to find which grocery items might…
Domino’s is seeking a fresh slice of the fast-food industry pie with a newly announced free pizza giveaway. The pizza chain is giving away up to $1 million worth of free pizzas in honor of the launch of its new domino-shaped pizza. But there’s a twist: The freebies are only…
I rarely start my car. Most days I get where I’m going on two wheels and a little sweat. I ride my bike primarily for fun and exercise, but it’s also the cheapest transportation I’ve ever owned. And after 35 years of writing about money, cheap gets my attention. So…
