Clik here to view.
Grandparents who are raising children need more support
Although the shelves in my home office are packed with books by financial experts offering really good advice, it was my grandmother, Big Mama, who taught me most of what I know about handling...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Learn to spot the telltale signs of debt-relief scams
People are so desperate to get out of debt that they will believe anything and anyone promising relief. They often turn to debt-relief companies promoting plans that can supposedly solve their...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Do your family a favor and plan your estate
It’s been 18 months since my mother died, and we are finally close to settling her estate.It hasn’t been easy. My mother had refused to get a will and so, in addition to dealing with her death, my...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Teaching financial literacy is essential, but hold the conflict of interest
For many people, personal finance can be pretty boring. I’ve even had folks planning to attend a financial class tell me they anticipated taking a nap.Folks like having money. They just don’t like the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Helping others shouldn’t have to come with a ‘thank you’
My pastor often talks about the need for an attitude of gratitude.I think that when you have a deep appreciation for what you have, you want less. And keeping your wants in check often means spending...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Take a hard look at what it means to be poor in America, and ask how to help
We are heading toward the holiday that encourages gluttony.Supermarkets are already overstocking their shelves with traditional Thanksgiving food items. But in many homes, people won’t have a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Finding prices for funeral homes shouldn’t be this difficult
One area where I’m not happy to have had a lot of financial experience is planning funerals.I’ve had to pay for or help arrange funerals for my grandfather, grandmother, two brothers, great aunt,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Retired parents have the money to fix up their house, but refuse to do so
As part of a regular series, I’ve been inviting readers to share their family financial feuds. In turn, I offer my perspective and suggest a solution.The latest installment concerns one reader’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Take out loans to live on campus or lose out on a collegiate rite of passage?
If I recommended that people take out loans to pay for several years of food and rent expenses that they otherwise couldn’t afford, you’d probably think I was being foolish.And yet that is exactly what...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why do some people retire? It’s just the right time — and they want to golf.
With about a decade left before we want to retire, my husband and I have begun some intense planning.We are looking at our health-care options. We’ve met with financial professionals to discuss how to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A hard fall for an Olympian: Should we help or is she skating by?
The financial life of figure skater Debi Thomas, who won a bronze medal in the 1988 Winter Olympics, in some ways mirrors the stumbles she made at those Games.As the TV commentator said after Thomas’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
While you wait in line for that deal on Black Friday, read these tweets
You are going to do it.Well, many of you, anyway.Some of you will do it because you believe it will help the economy (or maybe it’s just economists who do it for that reason).Others will do it because...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Testimonies of conquering debt
In one of my regular online discussions, a participant labeled her financial success story “Testimony Thursday.” I liked that phrase so much, I’ve adopted it.Now that we’ve entered the season of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Take out loans to live on campus or lose out on a collegiate rite of passage?
If I recommended that people take out loans to pay for several years of food and rent expenses that they otherwise couldn’t afford, you’d probably think I was being foolish.And yet that is exactly what...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why do some people retire? It’s just the right time — and they want to golf.
With about a decade left before we want to retire, my husband and I have begun some intense planning.We are looking at our health-care options. We’ve met with financial professionals to discuss how to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A hard fall for an Olympian: Should we help or is she skating by?
The financial life of figure skater Debi Thomas, who won a bronze medal in the 1988 Winter Olympics, in some ways mirrors the stumbles she made at those Games.As the TV commentator said after Thomas’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
While you wait in line for that deal on Black Friday, read these tweets
You are going to do it.Well, many of you, anyway.Some of you will do it because you believe it will help the economy (or maybe it’s just economists who do it for that reason).Others will do it because...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Testimonies of conquering debt
In one of my regular online discussions, a participant labeled her financial success story “Testimony Thursday.” I liked that phrase so much, I’ve adopted it.Now that we’ve entered the season of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
All is merry and bright — until it’s time to shop for the teens at Christmas
The pretense is long gone.No more cookies and milk on a table near the Christmas tree.You can’t get them to behave by threatening to report their misbehavior to Santa Claus. No more wide eyes of wonder...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A gift of knowledge will not be sent back
Is it okay to give a girlfriend a book on healthful eating if she’s been complaining that she needs to lose weight?Would you offend a relative if you gave him a book about trimming his debt if you know...
View Article