Harry Gross   

 

Harry Gross: Woman's partial car-loan payments hurting boyfriend's credit 06/16/2008

Dear Harry: About six months ago, I co-signed for a car for my girlfriend. I have my own car loan, which is paid for directly out of my bank account. She is now having a hard time making the car payments on that big loan. I asked her to get them to take the money out of her account so she can't spend it elsewhere, but she won't do that. How can I get my name off that loan? I'm worried that her partial payments are hurting my credit score?

 

Harry Gross: How wills & joint accounts can be valuable 06/09/2008

Dear Harry: We are two elderly seniors who are just about getting by with our Social Security, interest on CDs, and my husband's pension. Everything we own is in joint names, even our eight-year-old car. We were told we must have wills or the banks could tie up our CDs and bank accounts. This could make it very difficult for the survivor to get money from our checking account and get the interest on our CDs. Is this true? Can we each make our own wills?

 

Harry Gross: Charitable giving isn't just for the rich 06/02/2008

Dear Harry: For years, I have heard stories about how much the very wealthy donate to charity. Is there a way of finding out whether they are more, or less, charitable than we middle income people. Some of my friends insist that they give more, but I'm not so sure. Is there reliable information somewhere?

 

Harry Gross: Bank dragging feet on returning settlement charges 05/27/2008

Dear Harry: We have an adjustable-rate mortgage that is due for a rate change on July 1. The rate will go from 4 percent to 6 percent, but from here on it will change every year. We decided to refinance. The lender is our own bank so we thought it would g

 

Harry Gross: Ethical wills can guide heirs to high-minded living 05/19/2008

Dear Harry: Yesterday, I overheard some friends talking about an "ethical will." I know about regular wills and I just wrote a living will regarding end-of-life issues, but I never heard of an ethical will. Is this something I should be involved in?

 

Harry Gross: Beware tax-rebate e-mail - it's not from IRS 05/12/2008

Dear Harry: I have received several e-mails and one telephone call regarding the big tax rebates. The e-mails indicated that they were from the IRS and that I could not receive a check for the rebate, but had to receive the money by direct deposit. They a

 

Harry Gross: Are adviser's ideas good, or just a load of it? 05/05/2008

Dear Harry: For the last few years, I have been dealing with a man who's a Registered Investment Adviser, and he has given me some good advice on investing in mutual funds. Most of these have been load funds, but the net performance has been pretty good.

 

Harry Gross: Bank won't undo fee for going below his minimum 04/28/2008

Dear Harry: I have had a "small business" checking account with Bank of America ever since they first opened offices in this area. I have almost always maintained a balance in five figures even though the required minimum is only $3,000. Last mo

 

Harry Gross: Assembling a nest egg for retirement years 04/21/2008

Dear Harry: I'm 51, and I never considered what my situation would be when I retire. I have only Social Security to depend on.

 

Harry Gross: Bank must honor its cashier's check, no matter how old it is 04/14/2008

Dear Harry: I am desperately in need of your help! I have a bank cashier's check issued to me back in 1984. I can't remember why I did this. Over the years, I have called at least once a year asking whether or not I had to have it reissued, and each time

 

Harry Gross | Telephone scams: They keep on ringing

 

Harry Gross | Is bank's CD offer too good to be true? 01/22/2007