Personal Finance: Ask the Experts: Personal Finance: Most popular 2012 columns

Personal Finance: Ask the Experts

Get advice on money matters from The Bee's Claudia Buck and a panel of local experts

January 1, 2013

Personal Finance: Most popular 2012 columns

From mystery shopper scams to finding long-lost money to the rush to refinance home mortgages. In 2012, the personal finance columns that grabbed readers the most were all hit-the-wallet topics. Here's a look back at the Top 10 reader favorites:

1. Thousands of U.S. consumers, many angry over new fees, switched their bank during a nationwide "Bank Transfer Day" 610,000 ditched banks in 'fee-asco'

2. Who knew boring, ol accounting could be so attractive? A look at one of the hottest hiring sectors around: Accounting degree opens job possibilities

3. How owners of a small business - ChocolateBakery.com - successfully took the leap from brick-and-mortar to an online-only company:
How a small business succeeded online

4. Lured by get-paid-to-shop jobs, many lose money in a classic check scam: 'Mystery shopper' scam robs bank accounts

5. The state controller's office is sitting on $6.4 billion in unclaimed property, some of which could be yours:
State wants to connect unclaimed goods with their rightful owners

6. Making sure your heirs don't deal with financial/emotional chaos after you're gone:
Will you inherit cash or chaos?

7. Record-low interest rates create a stampede for refinancing home mortgages: Is a mortgage refinance right for you?

8. Teaching your college kids how to earn an "A" in managing their money:
College freshmen need to learn their money limits

9. Getting rid of an unwanted timeshare with losing $$ to scam artists: Timeshare resale scams surging

10. Avoiding computer identity theft by cyber-crooks:
How to plug online ID leaks

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Claudia Buck is The Sacramento Bee's personal finance columnist. Read all her columns here. Contact her at cbuck@sacbee.com

Terri Carpenter

Terri Carpenter offers advice on job hunting, retraining and career counseling. Carpenter works at Sacramento Works Inc., the career and job training arm of the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency (SETA). With 15 years in the field, she has hands-on experience with everyone from first-time job seekers to career professionals seeking advice after a layoff or looking for a mid-career change. Ask her a question.

Carlena Tapella

Carlena Tapella is a partner in the law firm of Webb & Tapella Law Corp. in Sacramento. The firm specializes in estate planning and probate, such as estates, trusts, conservatorships and litigation. She is a past president of the Sacramento County Bar Association's Estate Planning & Probate Section. Ask her a question.

Kimberly Foss, certified financial planner, is the founder of Empyrion Wealth Management in Roseville. With nearly 30 years in the financial industry, her clients include women in transition, small business owners, retirees and "pre-retirees." Ask her a question.

Gregory Burke, a CPA and tax expert with John Waddell & Co. in Sacramento since 1984, worked as an IRS tax auditor for six years. He’s a past chairman of the California Society of CPAs. Ask him a question.

Daniel Tahara takes your questions about California taxes. Tahara, a spokesman for the state Franchise Tax Board, has 10 years of experience as a tax auditor. Ask him a question.