I recently met someone who said he was a financial advisor and asked if I would refer clients to him. He handed me a business card that listed all sorts of certifications. At first glance, it looked impressive–unless you knew enough to distinguish between bona fide and bogus.  Certifications are, admittedly, confusing. Some certifications require a state-issued license to practice, while others are merely awarded by an industry association. The...

You are lying on your deathbed surrounded by the many assets you own: cash, bonds,    automobiles in the driveway, the mansion.   Then you die, and your ownership dies with you. Poof.   Where does the ownership go? As you are winging your way to heaven, the ownership of your assets vests immediately in the beneficiaries of your will. If you die without a will, then ownership vests in your heirs at...

It was the $6 donut store charge.   The charge showed up on the list of my credit card transactions, which I usually check at least weekly on my bank’s website. I should say “charges” because there were five of them, each from the same donut chain, but in different states. Except I had been in Texas the entire time and had not authorized a credit card purchase from a donut...