As companies short change employees with pensions, Treasury and Labor look the other way. Recently, the U.S. Treasury said that it is perfectly okay for companies to swindle employees out of their pension by offering one-time payments worth less than the pension that those employees are giving up. The Department of Labor, nominally responsible for protecting workers in retirement plans, said nothing. This isn’t the first time the government stood by as American businesses shifted risks onto their  employees and retirees by letting companies offer one-time payments instead of a lifelong pension. More details about this travesty are here:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/03/how-government-gave-retirement-security/585790/

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A health savings account offers unique advantages that make it the ideal place to park at least a portion of your retirement money. Here are reasons why:

1. It’s triple tax-advantaged
2. It can be a back-door IRA
3. There’s a sneaky way to avoid those taxes
4. It helps trim your medical cost today, and in the future
5. It can be an estate-planning tool

https://www.moneytalksnews.com/x-reasons-this-account-is-the-best-place-to-invest-for-retirement/

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If you know and love a young person, pass on these life-changing lessons that can put anyone on the road to prosperity. At this time of year, young people across the nation are graduating from high school and college and preparing to take charge of their financial lives.

Here are tips about personal finances to share with your children and grandchildren:

1. Debt is a form of slavery
2. Financially successful people live below their means
3. Pay yourself first
4. Forget about impressing the Joneses
5. Save aggressively early, and you won’t have to save so much overall
6. Craft clear financial goals
7. Don’t believe everything you hear about money
8. Set your own spending limits and stick to them

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College costs can cripple many budgets, but these institutions enable most if not all of their students to graduate debt-free. Higher education is a wonderful thing, but the price can be very steep.

The College Board reports that tuition and fees for the 2018-2019 school year average is $10,230 at public four-year, in state institutions. They average $35,830 at private nonprofit four-year schools.

But here and there throughout the country are schools where you pay nothing for tuition if you meet certain requirements. There might be work-study involved, but you can save tens of thousands of dollars by attending these schools:

1. Berea College: Berea, Kentucky
2. Alice Lloyd College: Pippa Passes, Kentucky
3. Deep Springs College: Deep Springs, California
4. Barclay College: Haviland, Kansas
5. College of the Ozarks: Point Lookout, Missouri
6. Curtis Institute of Music: Philadelphia, PA
7. Warren Wilson College: Ashville, NC
8. Webb Institute: Glen Cove, NY
9. Williamson College of the Trades: Delaware County, PA
10. Macaulay Honors College: New York City, NY

https://www.moneytalksnews.com/slideshows/tuition-free-colleges/

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One way to get ahead of debt is to borrow in the form of a debt consolidation loan. Before you do this what do you need to do first?

1. Determine why you’re in debt.
2. If you need help, find it.
3. Shop for a consolidation loan and read the fine print
4. See website below for more details and tips

https://www.moneytalksnews.com/ask-stacy-should-i-get-a-debt-consolidation-loan/

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Veterans can enjoy FREE food on Memorial Day for active military and Veterans. While Memorial Day is for honoring personnel who died on service, businesses across the nation are showing Veterans and active-duty military personnel a little love to thank them for their service.

• Applebee’s until May 31
• Chuck E. Cheese
• Firebirds Wood Fried Grill
• Fogo de Chao
• Hooters
• Logan’s Roadhouse
• McCormick and Schmick’s
• Outback Steakhouse
• Potbelly Sandwich Shop
• Rubio’s Costal Grill
• Texas de Brazil
• Twin Peaks

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Share a secure financial future with the one you love. Decide how to best set up your accounts and budget your money as a couple, then set goals for your future.

1. communicate
2. set goals
3. determine logistics

a change in your marital status can affect your taxes. Take time to familiarize yourself with these tax tips foe newlyweds so you know what to expect. Visit www.nfcu.org

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If you want to save month on your internet service? Here’s the best time to shop around for a good deal. High-speed internet has become like telephone, heat and water services – a basic necessity that few of us are willing to live without. But staying online is also expensive. The best way to cut that cost is to shop around – ask your provider for a better rate or find a cheaper provider – and summer is the perfect time to do it.

In fact, June, July, and August are the three months when internet service providers are most likely to cut their prices. It’s important to scan your bills to see the speed your current service provides, and how this knowledge, you can begin comparing providers.

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Your trusty two-wheel ride can save – and even make you money this summer. As spring slowly gives way to summer and temperatures begin to heat up, bicyclists everywhere are heading to their garages, tuning up their wheels and hitting the pavement or trails.

Following are five ways that your trusty two-wheel ride can make or save you money this summer.

1. Commute to work
2. Work as a courier or delivery person
3. Rent out your bike
4. Use your bike for errands
5. Cancel your gym membership

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A little-known report can alert you to costly problems in your banking history. And you can get a copy for free. One reason experts urge you to monitor your credit report is so you can catch identity thieves who open fraudulent credit card accounts in your name. What if a crook opens a bank account in your name, perhaps with plans to bounce checks or overdraft the account at your expense?

That account likely will not appear on your credit reports. Instead, it will show up on your checking account reports. If you don’t know to check those reports, you may not realize the fraudulent bank account exists until long after the damage is done.

Here’s what every consumer should know about checking account reports, including how to get a copy of yours for free:

• Certgy Check Services
• ChexSystems
• CrossCheck
• Early Warning Services
• Global Payment Check Services
• TeleCheck Services

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