Do You Need Rental Car Insurance? There are some questions I just know my company’s going to get every week. Sometimes I feel like we should have a dedicated phone line to answer them. One of the most common questions I get is “Does my auto insurance policy cover a rental car?” My answer: It [...]
Weird Taxes Affecting You Right Now As you probably learned in middle school history class, the formation of the United States of America was precipitated by just one tax too many from the British—the Stamp Act led to an infamous Tea Party and, ultimately, a revolting situation. Watch out! We may be on the verge [...]
Insuring Teenage Drivers and Earning Teen Driver Discounts Recently I saw an episode of “Two and a Half Men” where the teenager, Jake, was learning how to drive. As Jake prepared to turn into traffic, Uncle Charlie sat in the backseat and performed the sign of the cross—an apropos gesture, indeed. After all the soccer [...]
Estate Tax Update: How Will the Estate Tax Affect You? It’s safe to die this year—but what about next year? This year, some very wealthy people have died: Mitch Miller, George Steinbrenner, John Wooden, Senator Robert Byrd, General Alexander Haig, and Walter Frederick Morrison, inventor of the Frisbee. What do they have in common, aside [...]
Should I Refinance Now? Last November, when mortgage interest rates hit 4.25 percent for a 15-year fixed, my husband, Sam, and I hit the refinance button. We were seven or eight years into our 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage (ARM), which had recently reset to about 3.35 percent. We knew that our total payment would rise [...]
Insuring iPods, Cell Phones, Stereos, and Other Car Electronics We’re bombarded with information everywhere we go. Whether it’s a GPS, a BlackBerry, an iPod, an iPad, or a netbook, we expect our mobile devices to send information and receive it instantaneously. Mobile technology is just that—mobile. You probably bring your gadgets everywhere you go, including [...]
The Nanny Tax: How to Pay Nannies, Babysitters, and Home Help When it comes to small businesses, there are about a million tax and licensing laws designed to stifle productivity, creativity, and enthusiasm. But those are nothing compared to the traps ordinary people face in trying to comply with rules of the so-called nanny tax. [...]
This story was updated May 11, 2017. Is It Worth It to Appeal Your Property Taxes? A few weeks ago, I got a call from Dan, who was listening to my radio show. He lives in the Atlanta metropolitan area, and his property value has dropped significantly over the past few years. He received a [...]
Steps You Should Take If You Get Into a Car Accident Sometimes I take for granted the insurance knowledge I’ve acquired over the years. In the case of car accidents, some procedures have changed with new technology, but there are certain things everyone must do. Learn these steps now, so when a car accident happens [...]
