Best way to check out an insurer
Knowing its claims record is critical.
Before you pick a company, find out whether it has a reputation for hassling people about claims. Check out the insurer’s complaint record at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Consumer Information Source.
Best way to protect yourself from fraud
Here’s a deal: A free, hourlong DVD that will teach you how con men bilk even sophisticated investors and how to protect yourself from the bad guys. Plus, it’s replete with case studies showing different kinds of cons. You’ll learn from both the people ripped off and the perpetrators of the scams. The show is Tricks of the Trade: Outsmarting Investment Fraud, produced by the Finra Investor Education Foundation in partnership with AARP. Order it online or call 866-973-4672.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Best consumer blog
Consumerist.com is the always useful, frequently fun and deliciously snarky place to get the latest on a wide array of consumer issues. Recent posts: A ripoff at Target, foreclosure hell and a toddler-costume tag that’s dangerous to toddlers.
Best financial books
The skinny on the meltdown, landing a job and outsmarting your brain.
The Big Short (W. W. Norton, $28)
Leave it to Michael Lewis to nail Wall Street’s greed-charged myopia. In a compelling and sometimes hilarious read, Lewis explains the financial crisis through accounts of the colorful few who saw the subprime crisis coming and bet against it to get filthy rich.
MarketPsych (Wiley, $40)
The market is flooded with books on investor psychology, but most only outline the various ways we screw up with our investments. This is the first book that identifies the root causes and gives a variety of practical, imaginative ways to heal thyself.
Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0 (Wiley, $22)
Anyone unfortunate enough to be seeking a job in this market knows that the traditional methods can be dead ends. Here, many of the latest techniques recommended by headhunters are punctuated with war stories and step-by-step advice.
Best legal advice online
And most is at no cost.
Nolo.com has been our go-to source for legal information for a long time, and it’s still the best. Nolo’s been around for 40 years, and its easy-to-navigate Web site is packed with practical advice and clear information about a wide range of legal issues.
Best blog for frugalistas
Wisebread.com isn’t about being cheap, it’s about being smart with your money. Or as its tagline says, “Living Large on a Small Budget.” It features everything from restaurant strategies to 30 uses for the humble cardboard box.
Best blog for saving money
From feeding your family steaks for the price of burgers to making your water heater more efficient, TipHero.com has more than 3,000 money-saving ideas. Tips are posted daily, or receive them weekly in your in-box.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Close Mixed Amid War Angst, Nvidia AnxietyMarkets went into risk-off mode amid rising geopolitical tensions and high anxiety ahead of bellwether Nvidia's earnings report.
-
What the Comcast Cable Spinoff Means for InvestorsComcast has announced plans to spin off select cable networks and digital assets into a separate publicly traded company. Here's what you need to know.
-
457 Plan Contribution Limits for 2025Retirement plans There are higher 457 plan contribution limits for state and local government workers in 2025 than in 2024.
-
Medicare Basics: 11 Things You Need to KnowMedicare There's Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap plans, Medicare Advantage plans and so on. We sort out the confusion about signing up for Medicare — and much more.
-
Six of the Worst Assets to Inheritinheritance Leaving these assets to your loved ones may be more trouble than it’s worth. Here's how to avoid adding to their grief after you're gone.
-
SEP IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025SEP IRA A good option for small business owners, SEP IRAs allow individual annual contributions of as much as $69,000 in 2024 and $70,000 in 2025..
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up. Here's what you need to know.
-
SIMPLE IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025simple IRA The SIMPLE IRA contribution limit increased by $500 for 2025. Workers at small businesses can contribute up to $16,500 or $20,000 if 50 or over and $21,750 if 60-63.
-
457 Contribution Limits for 2024
retirement plans State and local government workers can contribute more to their 457 plans in 2024 than in 2023.
-
Roth 401(k) Contribution Limits for 2025retirement plans The Roth 401(k) contribution limit for 2024 is increasing, and workers who are 50 and older can save even more.
