Lindsey Crossmier

2 months ago | marketwatch.com | Lindsey Crossmier |Andrew Shilling

Life changes, and the annuity you purchased for good reasons might not be serving your financial needs anymore. The good news: You have options to get out of your annuity and access your money again. The bad news: These options usually come with hefty fees, penalties and tax consequences. Getting out of your annuity, also known as cashing out, is not a decision to make lightly.

Oct 29, 2024 | marketwatch.com | Lindsey Crossmier |Jared Macarin

When opening a certificate of deposit with a bank or credit union, you’ll select a term length, which could be a few months or several years. If you remove that money before the end of the CD term, you’ll usually pay an early withdrawal penalty that’s typically worth between 90 to 365 days of interest. In a 2024 MarketWatch Guides CD survey, 61% of 1,000 respondents said they didn’t take money from their CD before the term ended.

Sep 18, 2024 | marketwatch.com | Lindsey Crossmier |Jared Macarin

Winning the lottery would be a huge deal for anyone. After the initial shock, you’ll be faced with a decision — how to receive the funds. You can receive your lottery winnings as a lump-sum cash option or as a stream of annuity payments. Out of the seven largest Powerball and Mega Millions payouts in recent years, 100% of winners who disclosed their payout type chose the lump sum option. Some experts we interviewed for this article consider the lump sum option a mistake. Others think the contrary.

Sep 18, 2024 | marketwatch.com | Lindsey Crossmier |Liz Bingler

Some banks charge a non-sufficient funds fee if you don’t have enough funds to cover a bill or check. NSF fees can easily add up over time, so it’s best to know the potential implications. In this article, we at the MarketWatch Guides team break down how NSF fees work and how to avoid them. We also cover proposed legal changes to NSF fees and name some of the banks that don’t have these charges.