Spare Change

Wise Planning

About 45 percent of workers cashed in their 401(k) stash when they terminated their employment in 2004, Hewitt Associates says. Of workers ages 20 to 29, nearly 66 percent took the cash. That’s really stupid, because grabbing even a modest sum from a 401(k) can have a devastating impact on savings.

Survey Says

One in five Washington drivers wastes money when renting a car by buying the collision damage waiver offered by rental companies, Pemco Insurance says. In many cases, people are covered either by their own auto insurance policy or by their credit card company. Consider the collision damage waiver, though, if you’ll be driving in a foreign country or in Hawaii, since it’s a no-fault state and damage is always the responsibility of the renter of the car.

Net Nugget

Selling your home? Here are some Web sites offering tips:

“ABC’s of Real Estate

http://www.real estateabc.com/ homeselling/

“Bankrate.com

www.bankrate .com/brm/news /real-estate /selling.asp

“USAA Educational Foundation

www.usaaed foundation.org/ house/sh01.asp

Money Tip

Cash is no longer trash. In recent weeks, yields on some money-market mutual funds and short-term Treasury bills have crossed 5 percent — their highest levels since 2001. That follows earlier moves by some banks to boost yields on certificates of deposit. Some Wall Street strategists are recommending that investors reduce their bond allocation in favor of cash over the short term.