Spare Change

Money Tip

General Motors recently slashed its dividend in half, serving as a reminder that dividends are not a better form of interest-bearing bank account; they’re much riskier. But they do make a valuable contribution to investment portfolios, and over long periods, dividends account for about 40 percent of the returns on stocks in the Standard & Poor’s 500.

Money Q&A

Q: Will requesting a credit report hurt my credit score?

A: No. Requesting a copy of your own credit report will not impair your credit score. However, if lenders request copies of your report because you have applied for credit in one or more places, then that could affect your credit score since it implies that you are looking to take on additional debt. For that reason, you generally want to limit the number of places at which you apply for credit. Consumers have the right to request a copy of their credit report — free — every year from each of the three major credit-report providers. Go to www.annual creditreport.com for details on how to order.

Net Nugget

People love to talk about how much their homes, and those of their neighbors, might be worth, but it’s hard for average folks to obtain solid, neutral estimates of the market values of homes without consulting a real-estate agent. Zillow.com is a new, well-designed, free online service for finding the value of a home that doesn’t require you to identify yourself or to communicate with an agent or broker.

Market Tip

The dither about when, or if, the Fed’s interest rate increases will end is a waste of time, some analysts say. Mutual fund investors should pay more attention to diversified asset allocation, with bond funds used as a ballast for a stock-heavy portfolio regardless of when the Fed ends its cycle of rate increases.