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05/12/2008
Yip: Take a stand against credit card tricks
Consumers should be applauding and pushing rules proposed by the Federal Reserve and other regulators to rein in some much-criticized practices of credit card issuers.
 Estate planning: Be particular about power of attorney
Regulators' moves to stop credit card tricks deserves vocal support
Consumers should be applauding and pushing rules proposed by the Federal Reserve and other regulators to rein in some much-criticized practices of credit card issuers.
Be picky to make sure power of attorney is honored
The durable power of attorney is a critical component of estate planning. But it could run into roadblocks if you don't craft it correctly. Many financial-services companies and other businesses are skittish about complying with a power of attorney unless they're certain the document is genuine and the person claiming to have that authority isn't acting fraudulently.
05/04/2008
How to haggle with retailers
Not many people feel like paying full price for, well, anything these days. But there are still spring styles rolling out, flat-screen TVs to salivate over and that matter of getting a new couch after your cousin spilled red wine on your old one. So it's time to haggle.
04/28/2008
Do you need trip insurance?
 FILE/AP Many policies won't cover canceled flights unless you decide not to fly or you hop to a different carrier on your dime. Groundings, bankruptcies and the outright closure of airlines in recent weeks have sparked a flurry of interest among travelers curious about insurance to protect them against those hazards. But is it worth the money?
Answers to common questions
04/20/2008
Bill collectors are dogging debtors, but don't let them bite
Many of those late on their bills have gotten calls from debt collectors and have had less-than-pleasant experiences. No one likes to be dogged by a bill collector, and there are steps you should take to ensure that you resolve your situation quickly and aren't bullied by unscrupulous collecting firms.
04/25/2008
Tax rebate checks to start going out Monday 
President Bush said tax rebates will start going out Monday, earlier than previously announced, and should help Americans cope with rising gasoline and food prices, as well as aid a slumping economy.
04/13/2008
How to decipher a mutual fund prospectus
 MICHAEL HOGUE / DMN illustration Many investors skip reading a mutual fund prospectus because it's filled with boring legalese. But of all the documents that a fund sends out, the prospectus is the one thing that you should read, because it tells you the fund's investment philosophy and risks. And now, thankfully, it's about to get easier to understand the document.
Retirement news and advice from Bankrate.com
04/15/2008
Stimulus payment offers incentive to file your taxes Tuesday
Whatever your excuse is for filing taxes at the last minute – you thrive under pressure, you're lazy, you don't want to pay the IRS, the dog ate your tax form – they're due. But this year's economic stimulus payments should give you incentive to meet the deadline.
 Link: Tax tools
Survey: Do you owe or will you get a refund?
04/09/2008
Résumés for those over 50 often need makeovers
Job seekers can hurt their prospects if they write a résumé based on outdated notions, says Renae Perry, director of the Senior Source's employment program, which helps workers 50 and older with job searches.
Link: The Senior Source's senior employment program
Link: Workforce Solutions for Greater Dallas
04/11/2008
3 IRS offices to open Saturday
Three Internal Revenue Service offices in the Dallas-Fort Worth area will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday to help people file tax returns in order to receive their economic stimulus payment.
04/07/2008
Loans for college harder to find
 FILE 2007/AP Financial aid money has not totally dried up, but it has become harder to find. The credit crunch is squeezing virtually every part of the consumer world, including one group that can ill afford a shortage of funds – college students. There is still money available to students, but you need to know how and where to look.
Personal finance tools: Compare college loan rates
03/31/2008
Privacy notices are worth reading to keep your information secure
 LOU BROOKS/Special Contributor Want to know how companies use your personal information and how you can prevent its widespread release? Read the privacy notices from banks, credit card firms and insurers.
Opting out to protect your privacy
Personal finance tools
04/03/2008
Real estate Web site Zillow launches mortgage site
Armed with market research that showed Americans spend as much time researching a vacation as they do a mortgage loan (answer: five hours), Zillow.com is launching a mortgage marketplace that allows consumers to anonymously receive custom loan quotes and rate their lenders.
Tips for paying taxes if you're self-employed
For the 20 million self-employed Americans, filing taxes can be especially confusing. But the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants offers a few tips to make paying Uncle Sam a little easier. For more information on these tips, go to www.aicpa.org.
04/01/2008
Chat transcript: Recession-proofing your finances
Todd Mark, vice president of education for Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas, answered reader questions about recession-proofing their finances during a Web chat on Tuesday, April 1. Here's a transcript of the discussion.
03/24/2008
Family councils advocate for relatives in nursing homes
 MELANIE BURFORD/DMN Daisy Kincheloe has joined a family council at Doctors Healthcare Center, where her mother, Christina Montgomery, is a resident. The relatives of Texas nursing home residents have discovered there’s strength in numbers. Emboldened by a new state law, they’ve begun to organize more “family councils” at their nursing homes to advocate for better care.
Link: The Senior Source Web site
Link: Texas' Long-term Care Ombudsman
3 area IRS offices to be open Saturday
Three Internal Revenue Service offices in the Dallas-Fort Worth area will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday to help low-income people file tax returns in order to receive their economic stimulus payment.
Thinking of leaving your bank? Here's how
Financial institutions are offering cash and gifts to lure people into switching banks. To make the process easier for consumers, many financial institutions have even created "switch kits," which take account holders through the process of opening a new account and closing the old one.
Personal finance tools
CPAs share clients' most creative tax write-off attempts
Did you hear the one about the pot dealer's tax return? The New Yorker who claimed the whole city as a dependent? The exotic dancer who deducted ... well ... you know?
03/23/2008
Another sign of slowing economy: More 50-somethings are living with their parents
MILWAUKEE – After being laid off from her job as an events planner at an upscale resort, Jo Ann Bauer struggled financially. She worked at several lower-paying jobs, moved to a new city and even declared bankruptcy.
03/17/2008
Make sure that potential job's worth the move
 JUAN GARCIA/DMN The Mark family – Katie, 7; Josh, 3; and parents Todd and Lucy – left Atlanta for Frisco when Mr. Mark took a new job. Looking at a job that would require relocation? Consider financial and nonfinancial factors when deciding whether it's worth pulling up stakes.
Calculator: Compare cost of living among cities
Calculator: Compare your net-to-gross pay
Texas AG's office unveils Web site to combat identity theft
The Web site provides readers with step-by-step instructions for reporting identity theft and tips on protecting their current credit status. Direct links to forms for the Federal Trade Commission’s affidavit or a court order to officially file for identity theft make it relatively simple for users to contact relevant government agencies.
03/09/2008
Making 'green' investments grow takes research and patience
The growing trend toward clean and alternative energy sources represents an investment opportunity for those who do it right. But to make more green from "green investing," investors have to cut through the hype, determine what's a fad and what technology has lasting power and lucrative potential.
Link: Social Investment Forum Web site
Savvy manufacturers know green is now
Personal finance tools
03/02/2008
Companies can check your credit report without permission
Businesses can pull your credit report under several circumstances, and they don't always have to ask your permission. And the mere act of a creditor pulling your report can affect your credit score, depending on how the query is classified.
Link: How to dispute credit report errors
02/25/2008
You can rebuild your credit after bankruptcy
If you've gotten through filing for bankruptcy, you still have to rebuild your credit. It will take time, some hard work and major changes in your lifestyle to do it right.
Tips for improving your credit
Link: Get a secured credit card
Link: See your credit report
02/28/2008
IRS begins push to tell people how to get rebate checks
Don't be alarmed. More than 130 million households will get letters from the Internal Revenue Service beginning next week and it's good news, not bad.
02/25/2008
Reporters field questions on financial aid in Texas
Dallas Morning News reporters Pamela Yip, Holly Hacker and Eric Torbenson answered reader questions on financial aid and college savings plans in Texas during a live chat on Monday, Feb. 25.
Annual tax hotline's callers confused by rebate rules
 VERNON BRYANT/DMN Certified Financial Planner Frank Norris gave tax advice to hotline callers. Questions on the upcoming federal income tax rebates dominated the recent hotline sponsored by The Dallas Morning News and the Dallas CPA Society. Many of the callers were senior citizens who wanted to know how to get the rebates and whether they had to file a tax return.
Calculate your rebate
Tips and tools
Longer lifespans, less-taxing jobs lead more older workers to shun retirement 
 KYE R. LEE/DMN At age 90, Cecil Lawrence (left) still works as a glass salesman. Policy analysts who fear an "entitlement crisis" with the retirement of 78 million boomers welcome the trend toward longer working lives, saying it offers financial benefits for older individuals and the economy as a whole.
02/21/2008
Texas college savings plan flunked
Texas has struggled to help families pay for college. Its 529 plan was far from a hit: Texas families were turned off, in part at least, by the plan’s low returns and high costs.
Panel to study how to help more attend college
 Chat with our reporters about financial aid in Texas
High earners face surge in tax audits
The IRS is turning up the heat on high-income taxpayers, especially those who work for themselves.
02/18/2008
IRS won't call you about your tax rebate, but scammers might
 FILE/Getty Images There are variations of the rebate scam. Some callers claim they're from the IRS or the Social Security Administration and ask for personal information. Taxpayers are eagerly awaiting rebates, and scammers are trying to get their hands on them, too. Find out how to avoid getting ripped off.
Senators warn against rebate loans
Credit awaits eligible taxpayers
Tax tools
Get help through our tax hotline
Earned Income Tax Credit awaits eligible taxpayers
It's the one tax credit that has its own "awareness day" each year – the Earned Income Tax Credit, also known as the EITC.
Senators warn against 'instant rebate' loans
The last thing the government wants is for its attempt to stimulate a teetering economy to be thrown off course because people got scammed out of the tax rebates due them.
02/11/2008
Baby boomers may find bridge to health insurance
 SERGIO PEÇANHA/Staff Artist “Making it to Medicare” has become one of the biggest challenges for baby boomers who retire or are laid off before 65. But there may be hope on the horizon. A number of insurers have begun to market policies specifically geared to the 50-to-64 age group.
Compare plans
See Texas’ high-risk pool
Ask questions to find a tax preparer who fits your needs
As you search for a tax preparer, don't be surprised if he or she asks you some tough questions, too. New rules from the IRS are holding tax professionals more accountable for positions their clients take.
Facts on filing
Tools and calculators
Get help through our tax hotline
02/04/2008
Taxpayers face added work, rewards on this year's returns
The Internal Revenue Service is demanding more documentation this year. And because of Congress' gridlock last year, some higher-income taxpayers may have delays in getting their refunds. At the same time, the government wants to shower you with gifts, including a tax rebate this spring that's aimed at shoring up the economy.
Facts on filing taxes
Tools and calculators
02/19/2008
Facts on filing taxes
Here are some important facts about filing your 2007 income tax return.
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