Personal Finance - baltimoresun.com

What would you do with an extra $40 in your paycheck?

Eileen Ambrose — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:30:00 GMT

The White House wants you to tweet about how you would use an extra $40 in your paycheck as part of a second Twitter campaign to extend the payroll tax cut

Foreign transaction fee: the check's in the mail

Eileen Ambrose — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Years ago — 2008 to be exact — I wrote about a $336 million settlement that required Visa, MasterCard and Diner’s Club to return foreign transaction fees paid by those traveling outside the country or who made overseas purchases online.

Maryland regulators and libraries launch financial literacy clearinghouse

Eileen Ambrose — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:21:00 GMT

Need to find help with budgeting or to fend off a foreclosure in Maryland?

Q+A - What is shadow banking and why does it matter?

Michelle Martin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:45:13 GMT

LONDON, Feb & (Reuters) - The shadow banking system makes up 25 to 30 percent of the total financial system, according to the Financial Stability Board (FSB), a regulatory task force for the world's group of top 20 economies (G20).

Electric deals often look good — until the contract ends

Jay Hancock — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:08:00 GMT

Your first job as a Maryland electricity shopper is to sign up for a good deal at a good price. I'll remind you how to do so later in the column.

Eileen Ambrose: Retirees face the risk of outliving their money

By Eileen Ambrose , The Baltimore Sun — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:49:00 GMT

Treasury Department proposes a solution: annuities through workplace plans

Until recently, retirement planning focused mostly on helping workers accumulate savings.

Eileen Ambrose: Moves to lower your tax bill

By Eileen Ambrose , The Baltimore Sun — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Be prepared for new forms and mileage rates

Death and taxes might be certain, but the latter changes each year.

Sallie Mae changes fee after online student protest

Eileen Ambrose — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:40:00 GMT

Stef Gray launched an online protest against a $50 loan forbearance fee imposed by private student loan giant Sallie Mae. The fee is $50 per loan for a maximum of $150 per three-month reprieve on payments.

Investors worry where to put cash as banks wobble

Chris Vellacott — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:38:02 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Investors are holding more cash than at any time since the Lehman Brothers collapse to protect themselves against volatile financial markets, presenting them with a dilemma - where to hold that money when banks are looking shaky.

Workers must start getting 401(k) fee disclosures late summer

Eileen Ambrose — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:49:00 GMT

Amazingly, the government has had to require businesses that provide accounting, recordkeeping, legal and other services to 401(k) plans to tell employers just how much they are being paid -- and if they have any conflicts of interest. Read my earlier story about this.

Survey finds heartening level of consumer spending for Valentine's Day

By Sandra M. Jones — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

You can't buy love, but that isn't stopping Americans from spending plenty on jewelry, flowers, candy and dinner out this Valentine's Day, according to a report released Wednesday.

Which prepaid card has the most fees? There's a tool to find out

Eileen Ambrose — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:41:00 GMT

Update: A spokeswoman for Suze Orman says NerdWallet has it wrong. Jill Zuckman says the monthly fees for the year don't add up to $39, but $36 because the first month's fee is waived.

Real Estate Wonk: Decent income, little savings?

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:23:00 GMT

Many Marylanders living without a financial safety net

By Eileen Ambrose , The Baltimore Sun — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:01:00 GMT

New report gives the state low marks on some key financial measures

Marylanders on average have the highest income in the country, but when it comes to having a financial cushion in hard times, we're disappointingly mediocre.

First Mariner loses nearly $4 million in fourth quarter

By Jamie Smith Hopkins , The Baltimore Sun — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:10:00 GMT

First Mariner Bancorp said Monday that it lost almost $4 million during the three months ending Dec. 31, about the same as a year earlier after accounting for a one-time tax charge in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Harford Tax-Aide Program is back for another year

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:52:35 GMT

Free state and federal returns preparation starts Feb. 1

It's that time of year again for Harford County Tax-Aide. Reservations are being take for the program's free state and federal tax preparation services for low and moderate income county residents. Actual preparation of returns begins Wednesday, Feb. 1.

Marylanders can avoid paying state taxes next month on energy-friendly appliances

Eileen Ambrose — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:06:00 GMT

While the legislators battle it out over taxes in Annapolis, Marylanders will get a brief respite.

Baltimore CASH Campaign: Free tax preparation, plus a lot more

By Jamie Smith Hopkins , The Baltimore Sun — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The Interview: Sara Johnson, director of the Baltimore CASH Campaign

If you don't make a lot of money, the Baltimore CASH Campaign thinks you shouldn't be forking any of it over to get your tax returns prepared.

Unemployed grad launches online campaign against Sallie Mae fee

Eileen Ambrose — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:05:00 GMT

Stef. G, hopes what an online campaign did to get rid of Bank of America’s $5 debit card fee will work with Sallie Mae.

Consuming Interests: New airline pricing rules go into effect

By Michelle Deal-Zimmerman — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:52:00 GMT

If you're booking a flight today, airfares may appear higher than yesterday but they're really not.

'Stealing Trust' screening event in Baltimore Feb. 1

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:45:00 GMT

Bernanke near inflation target prize, but jobs a concern

Mark Felsenthal — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:31:04 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve could take the historic step this week of announcing an explicit target for inflation, a move that would fulfill a multi-year quest of the central bank's chairman, Ben Bernanke.

Can Suze Orman's new prepaid card change credit scoring?

By Eileen Ambrose , The Baltimore Sun — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:03:00 GMT

Credit experts raise doubts

Eileen Ambrose: Personal finance guru Suze Orman says she never would have introduced her prepaid debit card if there wasn't a possibility that some day it could be used in credit scoring. She has partnered with TransUnion, one of the three major credit bureaus, in a pilot program to see whether spending activity on the prepaid card could be used to develop a credit score.

Eileen Ambrose: Many workers are in the dark about 401(k) fees

By Eileen Ambrose , The Baltimore Sun — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Fee disclosures set to come out in the spring could be delayed

Survey after survey shows that many workers don't know how much they shell out in 401(k) fees — or that they even pay them.

Howard's consumer office opens new tax preparation help site

By Andrea F. Siegel, The Baltimore Sun — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:17:00 GMT

2012 is first year for VITA program

Howard County is launching a volunteer program this year to help people of limited means prepare and electronically file their taxes for free.