Jennie L Phipps

After I had house guests who locked themselves out and then climbed in through the window, I bought myself a smart lock — and an old-fashioned bolt for the window.
A smart lock is a simple introduction to do-it-yourself, or DIY, security. Installing and using one doesn’t require being a technological genius, and they are light years ahead of the days of calling a locksmith to change the locks when a relationship went bad.
My smart lock is — well, smart. It can be opened remotely or up close u...

At age 65, Dr. Tom Clark* sold his podiatry practice to an up-and-coming young podiatrist. Like most sellers in this type of arrangement, he provided the financing, and the buyer agreed to a modest down payment and monthly payments over 10 years.
Clark and his wife sold their home near his Ohio office and moved to a condo in Florida. For a few months, the payments came steadily – until they didn't.
Clark flew back to see what was going on and was shocked when he found his old office locked up...

The military's new blended retirement system was introduced this year. Eligible military families have until Dec. 31 to opt in, and once their decision is made, it is irrevocable. Comparing the new and old system can be confusing, and many families are feeling pressure to make the "right" choice.
Below is information to help you make this important decision. We're including details about the new blended plan as well as an explanation of how the old – or legacy – system works. There are pros a...

My husband died 15 months ago, after a year of battling aggressive cancer and two difficult months in hospice care at home. Jim was a CPA and, although I've spent the last 20 years writing about financial topics and thought I understood them, he was the financial manager in our family. When he died, I was gobsmacked by the complexity of unraveling our financial life.
At his death, I was immediately locked out of our credit card accounts, investment accounts and even his checking account, from...

Anybody can be sued, but some people may be more likely to be sued than others — like people who own homes, have savings, drive nice cars, and possess toys like boats and RVs. Having the good things in life can make you an attractive target for lawsuits. Even just having the ability to acquire nice things can make you worth suing.
That’s where an umbrella insurance policy comes in. It provides an extra layer of protection beyond what your regular insurance policies for homeowners, auto, busin...

Calculating diversity’s return on investment isn’t easy, but an increasing number of financial companies are seeing value in broadening their outlook to include more women and underrepresented minorities.
A group of global investment companies kicked off The Diversity Project last year to woo a broader range of employees. The effort is based in London and its members include approximately 30 global financial organizations, such as Allianz Global Investors, BBC Pension Trust Ltd, Fidelity Inte...

Most people who opt for traditional Medicare and a Medicare supplement to protect themselves from gaps in the program choose the Medigap insurance known as Plan F. Of those who decide to buy a Medigap plan, 66% choose F, according to the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance, a trade organization.
That’s in spite of the fact that Plan F is the most expensive, and many people will go years paying the premiums without getting their money’s worth. Does that make choosing it a go...

“Grandchildren are the dots that connect the lines from generation to generation,” wrote Lois Wyse, the author of “Funny, You Don’t Look Like a Grandmother.”
Keeping communication lines open and strong can be challenging for grandparents as both they and their grandchildren age and change.
Here are some ideas for navigating grandparenthood to maximize the pleasures and avoid the pitfalls.
Baby and Toddler Grandkids
Having a grandbaby is fun, but it can also be tricky. Take these baby steps to...

“Hands down, there’s not even a close second, the number one reason for service calls will be an issue that could have been avoided if proper [golf cart] maintenance had not been ignored,” says Michael K. Rosenbarker, author of So, You Bought a Golf Cart? An Owner’s Guide for Learning about Golf Carts.
“What costs the customer a crisis repair could have been avoided with a significantly lesser service bill had some regular, scheduled maintenance been performed,” writes Rosenbarker, who used t...

Investors in single family rentals can continue to feel good about the market, according to a report from bond-ratings Morningstar Credit Ratings, which summarizes all Morningstar-rated single family rental securitizations.
“Everything seems healthy,” says Brian Grow, managing director, RMBS and ABS, Morningstar Credit Ratings, a division of the analytical company, which monitors more than 108,000 properties and related monthly rental and expense data.
Highlights of the report include:
• Lowe...

At the University of Waterloo, the self-driving Autonomoose vehicle is already a reality. During the initial series of testing, this Lincoln MKZ based-model has a human in the driver seat just to keep an eye on things in case something doesn’t work out as planned.
But Autonomoose is expected to move quickly from this Phase 1 testing to Phase 3 when the human in the vehicle can safely turn his attention to something besides the road. Ultimately, Autonomoose will reach Phase 4 when its passenge...

The world is full of people who sell real estate. Some of them are smart, efficient, focused, versatile and willing to go the extra mile. And some of them aren’t.
Finding an agent who will sell your home using a range of marketing tools to get you the best deal possible in a reasonable amount of time, all while charging a fair rate, takes some effort. Interview at least three candidates before you sign a contract.
Here, thanks to Alison Rogers, author of Diary of a Real Estate Rookie, and a p...