Collecting A Tax Break

All those baseball cards, comic books, and Star Trek figurines you’ve got collecting dust in your basement may be worth a fortune—or, at the very least, a tax break. You probably already know that your charitable donations of cash will allow you to take a tax deduction, but you can also donate your collections, from art to bottle caps, and get a benefit from Uncle Sam. In this story I wrote for Kiplinger’s Retirement Report, I get into the specifics of how to take advantage of this opportunity.

Read the full story here (page 6).

If You Had A Million Miles

You might not be rich, exactly, but a million frequent flyer miles could get you anywhere in the world, first class. I talked to a few mileage junkies for a story for CreditCards.com — including two who have banked millions over the past few years alone — about the credit card strategies they’ve used to grab thousands of miles without paying a penny. If you’re not worried about your credit report, you can make the most of these deals. In fact, after I finished the story, I picked up a couple cards that will help me get 150,000 miles in the next six months without changing my spending.  You might be able to benefit, too.

Read the full story here.

All Expenses Paid

You don’t have win at a game show to get vacation perks without spending a dime — you just have to know a little insider knowledge. Getting free flights, lodging, food, and events might not be as hard as you think. If you’re willing to spend some time and think creatively, you won’t have to spend a penny to get many vacation perks. In this slide show for Bankrate.com, I share some of the key tips for getting something for nothing.

Read more here.

Jingle All The Way To The Bank

Credit and debit card companies want you to use their cards during the holiday season—and they’re lining up some enticing deals for consumers. From improved cash back offers to free shipping, your plastic can definitely pay off this season.

Offers can be found for nearly every card, whether you carry Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover. Read the fine print and the expiration date and you’ll be able to afford just a little more holiday cheer.

Changing Strategies

Anyone who’s spent any time learning about credit cards knows the cardinal rules: pay them off on time and in full whenever you can. Never just pay the minimum. It turns out that those rules get thrown out the window if you’ve lost (or think you’re about to lose) your job. In an emergency, everything is different, but you should know why the rules are changing. In this  story I wrote for CreditCards.com, experts share advice on using your cards wisely if you get a pink slip.

Read the full story here.

Split Decisions

Divorce isn’t just emotionally devastating—it’s also often a financial catastrophe. For parents who are trying to save for their child’s college education, likely the largest single expense their kids will ever incur, it’s important to keep saving after the separation.

In this story for SavingForCollege.com, I ask experts how parents can mitigate the financial effects of divorce on their child’s 529.

Read the full story here.

Subsidized Education

We all know how great it is when someone picks up the tab for something, whether it’s your pal who picks up the lunch bill or your company that pays for your gym membership.

But what if you could get others to pay for something far more important—your child’s college education? In this story, which I did for SavingForCollege.com, I examine all the different ways you can get other people to contribute funds to your child’s 529 account. It’s not as hard as you think, and if you’re savvy, the end result could be hundreds, if not thousands, of additional dollars to help pay for college.

Read the full story here.

Two Is Better Than One?

For Advance Planners

Plenty of people do their best work at the last minute. Unfortunately, you can’t apply that trait to saving money. Those who start stashing away their money early will always have an advantage over those who start later.

For 529 college savings plans, “starting early”  usually means when your baby is born. But for some super-achievers, saving for college starts even earlier. In this story, which I did for SavingForCollege.com, you can find out how you can help your child go to college—even before he or she is born.

Read the full story here.

It’s Not You, It’s Them

Credit card companies expect their products to turn a profit—and if they don’t, they’ll ditch them with lightning speed. Take Chase and Starbucks. A few years ago, the two companies partnered to create the Starbucks Duetto Card, but when profits weren’t what the companies hoped for, they yanked the card in March, leaving card users in the lurch. In addition to this high-profile case, hundreds of other affiliated cards—think those that are offered by your university or by some nonprofit organizations—have also been retired.

What should you do if you find that your card is no longer worth the plastic it’s printed on? Read my story in CreditCards.com here.