Prevent child ID theft with a credit freeze? It’s not always easy
To the delight of identity thieves, just 22 states let you freeze your child’s credit.
Liz Weston is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, award-winning journalist and the author of five books about money, including the "The 10 Commandments of Money," "There Are No Dumb Questions About Money" and "Your Credit Score."
Liz started covering personal finance in the early 1990s, just as interest in 401(k)s, credit scores and other money topics was about to explode. After stints at the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times, she began writing online for MSN and soon became the Internet’s most-read personal finance columnist, according to Nielsen/NetRatings surveys.
She has appeared on CNBC, “NBC Nightly News,” the “Today” show, “Dr. Phil” and numerous radio shows, including American Public Media’s “Marketplace”; NPR’s “All Things Considered,” “Talk of the Nation” and “On Point”; and KPCC’s “Air Talk.” Weston writes a weekly question-and-answer column, “Money Talk,” that appears in the Los Angeles Times, among other outlets.
Liz has been a columnist for Reuters, AARP the Magazine and NerdWallet, among other outlets. She retired from full-time work in early 2024. She and her husband, the artist Will Weston, live in Los Angeles when they’re not in Paris or somewhere else in the world, exploring the joys of semi-retirement.
No one is born knowing how to handle money. We all have to learn, and we all make mistakes. The key is finding a balance, so that you’re able to save for the future while enjoying your life today.
— Liz Weston, CFP®
Many taxpayers receive a Form 1099 at tax time. Here are the common types of 1099s, and what to do if you get one.
Schedule C is for sole proprietors, including freelancers and independent contractors, to report their income and expenses.
Frightening as it is, your cash won’t disappear should your bank get hit.
While it was designed to catch wealthy tax avoiders, the AMT may snare many others too.
About 1 in 7 Americans has unclaimed money, and more than $4 billion is returned annually.
The priciest and most affordable states in the country to buy a home.
Can “card present” fraud take place without an actual card?
The qualified business income deduction, or QBI, can reduce your business income by up to 20 percent at tax time.