How To Manage High Medical Bills (@nytimes @Your_Money)

While health insurance can save people from paying some outrageous medical bills, sometimes those savings aren't enough to make the care affordable. But what can you do about it? Ann Carrns at The New York Times has some suggestions:

Full article at The New York Times

"A Commonwealth Fund study released this week found that nearly a
quarter of working­-age Americans who had health insurance in 2014 were
“under-insured.” The report cited rising deductibles — the amount you must
pay for care before insurance coverage begins — as a growing factor."

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Love and Money: What to Do When Financial Opposites Attract (@dankadlec @kerenzulli @MONEY)

It's often said that opposites attract, but when couples are on the opposite ends of the financial spectrum in terms of saving versus spending, some serious relationship-threatening complications can start to pop up. If this sounds familiar to you, Dan Kadlec and Kerri Anne Renzulli at Money Magazine have some advice:

Full article at Money Magazine

"In a poll last year, MONEY found that 70% of couples argue about money, putting it ahead of conflicts over chores, sex, or snoring. What’s more, money fights are the only common spats correlated to divorce: Couples who fight about money weekly are 52% more likely to divorce than those who argue about money monthly, according to a study by Jeffrey Dew, associate professor at Utah State University."

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Love and Money: Why Couples Need to Get Financially Naked (@dankadlec @kerenzulli @MONEY)

People often talk about the importance of open and honest communication between couples, but this advice is often ignored when it comes to the subject of money. Dan Kadlec and Kerri Anne Renzulli at Money Magazine explain why financial communication is necessary and beneficial to a happy relationship, and they give some advice on how to best approach the subject with your partner.

Full article at Money Magazine

"A few years back, an American Express poll found that 91% of people avoid money talks with their partners; another from last year revealed that only 52% have financial conversations at least weekly. Worse, one in three adults in relationships say they lie to their partner about money, the National Endowment for Financial Education found."

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What Kids With Summer Jobs Need to Know About Taxes (@Kiplinger)

As summer approaches, many teens are getting ready to join the workforce -- for a few months, at least. But what effect does this have on them, as well as their parents, in regards to taxation? Personal finance columnist Kimberly Lankford explains:

Full article at Kiplinger

"Generally, anyone with earned income of less than $6,300 in 2015 does not need to file a tax
 return. If he will earn less than that, your son could check the box on Form W-4 that allows him to claim he is exempt from withholding. Note, however, that a child who is claimed as a dependent by someone else cannot claim an exemption from withholding if he has more than $350 of unearned income (from interest and dividends, for example) and his total income is more than $1,050."

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How to lend money to a relative without getting whacked by the IRS (@MarketWatch)

If a family member is strapped for cash, and you're planing on helping by loaning them some money, make sure you do it properly:

Full article at Market Watch

"If you make a loan to a family member and charge zero interest, you may face unfavorable and complicated tax rules, as I’ll explain later. But you can avoid all the tax complications if you instead charge an interest rate that at least equals the IRS-approved applicable federal rate (AFR). Because AFRs are almost unbelievably low right now, you can be nice to yourself by charging the AFR while still being plenty nice to the borrowing family member as well."

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When It Makes Sense to Skip Filing a Car Insurance Claim (@EllenYChang @MainStr)

Just because you have insurance doesn't mean you should use it. Ellen Chang explains when and why it may not be worth it to file a claim, and provides a calculating tool to help you decide. 

Full article at Main St.

“Many consumers underestimate the consequences of making claims because they can affect your rate for years,” said Laura Adams, a senior analyst at insuranceQuotes.com. “If you get a premium hike for making a small claim that could hurt your finances over the long run.”

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The Same-Sex Couple Who Got a Marriage License in 1971 (@eckholm @nytimes)

Full article at The New York Times

"With some sleight of hand involving a
legal change to a gender-­neutral name, they obtained a marriage license in
another county, and in 1971, in white bell-­bottom pantsuits and macramé
headbands, they exchanged vows before a Methodist pastor and a dozen guests
in a friend’s apartment. Their three-tiered wedding cake was topped by two
plastic grooms, which a friend supplied by splitting two bride-­and-groom
figurines.
Ever since, they have maintained that theirs was the country’s first lawful
same-­sex wedding. The state and federal governments have yet to grant
recognition, but the pastor, Roger W. Lynn, 76, calls theirs “one of my more
successful marriages.”

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When friendly neighbors get too friendly (@Quantanamo @MarketWatch)

If a neighbor comes over with a fresh-baked pie for you, it would be rude to refuse it, right? Maybe that's true, but sometimes it may be in your best interest to do so anyway:

Full article at MarketWatch

"Accepting an act of goodwill — whether it’s a sports jacket or a pumpkin pie — should be done with careful consideration because, once you’ve accepted it, it’s easier to accept again, and before you can say “Paging Stephen King!” you are locked in a cycle of give-and-take with a person who could be just lonely or, in a worst case scenario, even unstable. You need to ask yourself what a good actor asks his director, “What are her motivations? What are mine?”"

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Allen Iverson Goes Broke: 3 Timeless Money Lessons for You (@TMFSunLion @MONEY)

Even though it is hard for most of us to compare our financial lives with those of highly paid professional athletes, there are still some lessons that all of us can learn from this NBA superstar's mistakes:

Full article at Money Magazine

"Poor Allen Iverson: the 11-time NBA All-Star, who earned over $154 million during his 15-season career, is reportedly in deep financial trouble. How did one of the top players in the NBA burn through so much of his fortune in such a short time?
Here are the key reasons Iverson lost control of his finances and the lessons we can learn from those missteps."

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How To Get Your Kids a Good Credit Rating -- Or None At All (@NicholasPell @MainStr)

Good credit can go a long way, and it can make a huge difference towards your children's financial well-being if they have good credit established early on, especially if they end up in debt because of student loans. But how can you help them do it? Nicholas Pell at Main St. has the answer:

Full article at Main St.

"The average college debt is just shy of $30,000 at graduation. So when your kid graduates, the last thing he needs is more debt, bad credit and a heavier burden to carry. When your kids go out into "the real world," you're not going to be able to set them up for success in the same way you will before they make that leap. So what are some things you can do to help ensure the financial success of your children as it relates to credit and debt when they’re going out into the world?"

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How much should you give as a wedding gift? (@mitchlipka @ReutersMoney)

As summer approaches, and weddings become more plentiful, Mitch Lipka asks (and answers) an important question that many have: How much should you spend on your wedding gift? The answer, as with many things in life, is that it depends:

Full article at Reuters

"Wedding experts agree on a couple of things: the closer you are to the bride or groom, the more you are expected to give, and do not give more than you can afford just because of the expectations.
Defying the "cost-of-the-meal" school of gift-giving, where guests give a gift roughly equivalent to what it cost to host them, Kristen Maxwell Cooper, deputy editor of the wedding-focused website TheKnot.com, says location and cost of the reception should not be the burden of the guest."

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You've Won Big -- What Will That Windfall Cost You in Taxes? (@Notteham @TheStreet)

You just won $10,000! Before taxes, that is:

Full article at The Street

"As Los Angeles-based tax expert Elizabeth Rosen notes, any winning you get from playing the lottery, gambling in casinos, betting on races or even playing keno in the local pub are fully taxable. The IRS even designates a form, W-2G, just for this purpose. If you win, Uncle Sam wants his cut."

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The 3 Things All Millennial Parents Should Be Saving For (@TaylorTepper @Money)

There are a lot of reasons to be saving money, and more and more are added when you have children. But between 401(k)s, college savings, debt management, and many other things sucking up millennials' income, it often isn't possible to meet all your financial goals. Which should you prioritize? Taylor Tepper has some advice:

Full article at Money Magazie

"I know I should have a healthy emergency fund and contribute up to the match in my 401(k) and save for Luke’s college education. But in which order? And how am I supposed to do those things while also paying for child care, Brooklyn rent and the occasional whisky ginger?"

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