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Here’s how to protect yourself from harassing debt collection scammers. Photo: Alon

By Craig T. Kimmel

It’s late and your phone is ringing off the hook. The caller ID reads a number you don’t recognize, but you pick up anyway. With someone calling at such a late hour, it could be important.

“Hello?”

The unfamiliar voice quickly informs you that you owe hundreds of dollars on an unpaid debt – a debt you don’t even recall having. The debt collector says that, unless you pay immediately, bad things are going to happen.

So what do you do?

Coping with debt collectors is difficult enough, but surprisingly, the scenario depicted above isn’t unusual. How do you know if the call is legitimate?

Have you set aside enough for your 2014 taxes? There’s still time to take action. Photo: Tax Credits

Holiday stress is boiling over, and the last thing you want to worry about are your taxes due next April.

But while enjoying a good year financially thanks to increased earnings and the stock market’s all-time highs is great news, it means your tax bill is going to increase as well.

Ideally, you’ve been working taxes into your overall financial strategy all year. But if you haven’t or need some last-minute ideas for tax havens, here are a few year-end tax-saving ideas for you and your business before the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31:

A bike ride at a park is one of many free ways to keep kids occupied. Photo: Pedro Ribiero Simoes

Winter break is upon us, so you know what that means: last-minute holiday shopping, travel preparations, and children bouncing off the walls awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus.

If you’ve already made arrangements for your little ones, kudos to you. The rest of us have to figure out ways to get a gang of tasks done in a limited amount of time, and keeping children entertained and out of the way is not always an easy feat. And if you’re crunched for cash or too busy to think outside the box, your options may seem limited.

But don’t fret. Here are some activities I’ve used over the years to keep my two kids busy, whether it be for the holidays, spring break, or over summer vacation:

One common question I hear from readers – and see on various personal finance message boards – goes something like this:

Over the past few weeks, some sort of financial calamity has occurred in my life. As a result, I only have $10 or $20 that needs to last me until the end of the month. I have nothing in my cupboards. How can I eat for a week or two on just these few dollars?

Lots of variations on this story pop up.

Some people fall into this situation because of a job loss. Others simply mismanage their money so poorly that they wind up unable to pay their bills. Still others wind up here because of a financial error of some kind – maybe they didn’t balance their checkbook right or something like that.

Some people might be stuck with only $5 or $10. Others might have $40 or $50.

Some people might be living single, while others have a family to feed. Honestly, it’s the stories with children that really get to me.