Building a Good Life with a Bad Credit Loan

Having bad credit can feel like getting a flat tire on your way toward a solid financial future. It can also make you feel like you’re the only one stranded on the side of the road with no help in sight. You could convince yourself that things may have been the same had you taken a different route. #personalfinance

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How to get around Amazon Prime’s new $119 fee

Amazon is justifying Prime’s 20 percent price hike, to $119 a year, by saying it is more a valuable service than when the fee last rose four years ago. #personalfinance

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Help Your College Grad Become an Investor

Finding the right gift for a college graduate can be tough. It’s nearly impossible to pick out the latest gadget—let alone the latest fashions—and just cash may strike you as too impersonal. So what can you give a young person, just starting out, that would be useful and meaningful? #personalfinance

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This is the worst financial mistake a grandparent can make

When seniors default on federal student loans, their Social Security benefits can be docked to repay the debt. As much as 15 percent of your benefit payment can be withheld. If there is a silver lining, it’s this: Your Social Security benefits can’t be dunned for defaulting on private student loans. But the lender can still take you to court to try to collect the amount due. #personalfinance

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It’s not fun to do a ‘paycheck checkup’ — but do it anyway

As you may know, Congress passed some major tax legislation at the end of last year. Actually, it turns out that 26 percent of Americans don’t know this, and about half haven’t heard that income-tax brackets are changing. #personalfinance

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