Jean Chatzky blog :: The Difference :: Personal finance, debt, and money advice » Retirement

Money 911: Maximizing your tax return

Jean — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:45:31 +0000

This morning on Today‘s Money 911, we heard from a woman who wanted to know how to use her $10,000 tax return. Should she: pay off student loans, pay off her credit cards, or boost her emergency savings? To see what we told her, plus tips on taking Social Security, check out the video clip below.

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Nightly News with Brian Williams: Road to retirement

Jean — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:41:23 +0000

On Friday, January 13, I went back on Nightly News with Brian Williams to talk about saving for retirement. It’s an issue that many people are concerned about, especially if they’ve started saving very late in life or if their retirement accounts have taken a hit in recent years. The good news is that there are ways to bounce back. To see our discussion, check out the video clip below.

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Money 911: Applying for store credit cards

Jean — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:01:56 +0000

During the holidays, many retailers try to entice you to sign up for their store credit card by promising additional deals and savings. So should you take the bait? To find out the answer to that question — plus tips on balancing medical bills and paying for school — check out the video clip below.

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Nightly News with Brian Williams: Saving for retirement

Jean — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:10:13 +0000

On Friday, January 6, I went on Nightly News with Brian Williams to talk about saving for retirement. We discussed why you need to check your monthly 401(k) statements, as well as how to downsize to save even more. To see our discussion, check out the video clip below.

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Money 911: Recovering from a job loss

Jean — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:03:29 +0000

This morning on Money 911, we heard from a woman who lost her job seven months ago and has borrowed from her children’s college accounts to get through the rough time. When she gets a new job, should she immediately replenish those accounts, or should she build an emergency savings and 401(k)? To see what we told her, plus tips on how to fund home-improvement projects, check out the video clip below:

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Money 911: Maximizing promotions and bonuses

Jean — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:29:51 +0000

This morning on Money 911, we heard from a viewer who just received a raise and wanted to know how to maximize these new funds. We told him that, if handled the right way, this money could help him become a millionaire by the time he retires. How is this possible? The answer is in the video clip below.

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New York Daily News: The return of the 401(k)

Jean — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:58:55 +0000

During the economic downturn, many companies reduced or eliminated their 401(k) match programs. Two years later, 401(k)s finally seem to be coming back strong. This means that it’s time to maximize your own 401(k) and take advantage of any new benefits that are being offered. In my latest New York Daily News column, I give you a rundown of some of these new benefits.

Today’s Money: Will you have a mortgage when you retire?

Jean — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:44:01 +0000

Can you afford to retire? The Wall Street Journal did a study and found that among people who are 60 to 64 years old, 40% still have mortgages. This is double the number from 15 years ago, and these mortgages are more expensive than 15 years ago, too. To hear more on the subject — plus for some tips on making retirement more affordable — check out the video clip below.

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Money 911: Rebalancing your portfolio

Jean — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:18:12 +0000

This morning on Money 911, we spoke to a woman whose portfolio is 60% stocks and 40% bonds — but she’s nervous about the market’s volatility. What did we tell her to do? For the answer to her question, plus advice on whether or not to opt out of a credit card rate increase, check out the video clip below.

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Money 911: How to rebound from bankruptcy

Jean — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:02:54 +0000

Filing for bankruptcy can be a difficult thing: it provides a blank slate, but it can also be tough to start anew. This morning on Money 911, we talked about what you can do to rebuild after bankruptcy. We also addressed paying off law school loans vs. 401(k) contributions and how to overcome a bad credit report. To hear our tips, check out the video clip below:

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