Karin Price Mueller is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com, a personal finance web site that offers smart and objective advice on everything money. She also writes the Bamboozled consumer affairs column for The Star-Ledger, and a monthly money column for Inside Jersey magazine, and she's been the recipient of many national and local journalism awards. Mueller lives in Monmouth County with her husband — Star-Ledger reporter Mark Mueller — and their three kids and two English Mastiffs. Whatever they don't eat goes into her retirement savings accounts.
Karin Price Mueller
Are junk bonds right for your portfolio?
Q. If a junk bond is more risky, how can I decide if it’s worth buying?
Should a wedding band form a corporation?
Q. I’m in a wedding band and it’s my only job. I earn about $100,000 a year. I’ve never created a company for myself or for the band. Would that be smarter for taxes? Most of the payments we get are cash or check.
Choosing the right life insurance
Q. I have a little extra money and I’m wondering if I should switch from term insurance to a permanent policy. How can I decide what I need?
When a widow can take social security
Q. My daughter’s husband died. I said she can start getting his Social Security payments, but she said Social Security said no. What are the rules?
Using a family limited partnership for property
Q. My family is thinking of buying an investment home. Do we need to buy it with a Family Limited Partnership, and how would that work?
Investment options for an emergency fund
Q. What’s the best way to keep my emergency fund? Bank accounts pay nothing, so…?
Best IRA for a college kid
Q. I want to start a retirement account for my son, who will be a college freshman. He doesn’t have income. Is an IRA out of the question? And which is better, a Roth or a traditional IRA?
Can you use that IRA to invest in a business?
Q. Can I use an IRA to invest in a new business without taking the money out of the account?
The best time to sell stocks
Q. What’s the best time of year to sell stocks? If I want to sell from my IRA once a year so I can take a distribution, is there a better time to do it?
Finding calm on volatile news days
Q. I try not to look at my investments but it’s impossible to not hear radio reports on the stock market. etc. What can I do to not pay attention? I get very nervous when I hear about a bad day.