Personal Finance Posts

Quick Take LIHEAP heating assistance applications are open now and money runs out on a first come, first served basis, even for renters You can call your bank and opt out of debit and ATM overdraft coverage to skip the typical $35 fee Unclaimed…

Quick Take The 30-year mortgage rate climbed to 6.71%, the highest in over a year Clients only have to send a 1099 for payments of $2,000 or more now, up from $600, but all income is still taxable Authorized users on a credit card are not respo…

Quick Take A 30-day written dispute letter can legally stop a debt collector from contacting you until they prove the debt Self-employed and 1099 workers owe an estimated tax payment by Tuesday, September 15 Employer health insurance …

If you and your spouse aren't on the same page about money, I want to tell you what that actually looks like from the inside, because I lived it, and it almost ended my marriage. First, three quick updates that affect your wallet. Student Loan Let…

Quick Take Turo offers three earning plans, paying out 70, 80, or 90 percent of your rental price. Damage responsibility scales with your payout: $250 on the low plan, up to $2,750 on the high plan. None of the three plans cover wear …

Quick Take The Federal Reserve found 12% of adults couldn't cover a $400 emergency at all, and another 15% would put it on a credit card and carry the balance. ESPN Unlimited and Peacock Premium prices rise September 17, adding to the roughly $8…

Becoming Financially Confident Yesterday's episode Mortgage Rates, IRS Letters, and a Parent's Credit Card Debt: What We Covered Yesterday Mortgage rates hit 6.71% this week, a basic savings account could be quietly costing you $573 a year,…

Quick take Daycare alone runs about $16,857 a year per child, and the government's "affordable" 7% of income doesn't match what most families actually pay ACA marketplace open enrollment now runs November 1 to December 15, a month shorter than l…

As an accountant, this isn't a fun thing to admit. But it's true, and it's the story I told on today's episode. I spent two decades telling other people how to build wealth while my own retirement account sat at zero. Not underfunded. Not behind sc…

Your driving record hasn't changed. Your car hasn't changed. Your premium went up anyway, and that's not a coincidence, it's how the math works right now. On today's episode we dig into that one first, then answer four more money questions listeners…

Quick Take Prescription drug prices fell 3.1% over the past year, the biggest annual drop since 1963, but that's a national average, not your personal co-pay 6 in 10 adults worry about affording their medications, and 4 in 10 are skipping …

Quick Take Home insurance premiums are rising about 4% this year even though NOAA expects fewer named storms Hurricane and windstorm deductibles often run 1 to 5% of your home's value, not a flat dollar amount Standard homeowners insu…

What to Do With an Inheritance That Grew in the Stock Market  A listener wrote in with a story that's more common than people admit. Her aunt left her $20,000 last year, and she invested it based on advice from someone she was dating at the t…

The Four Numbers That Actually Matter on a Car Loan  A listener wrote in about to buy his first car from a dealership with zero experience in financing. He knew the finance manager was about to hand him paperwork full of numbers he didn't ful…

You Lost Your Job. Here's Your 30-Day Plan for the Bills.  A listener wrote in this week from a place a lot of people know. He lost his job three days ago, and his credit card statement is due in about two weeks. He doesn't have enough saved …

The Real Monthly Cost of Owning a Condo (It's Not Just the Mortgage)  A listener wrote in recently with a question I think a lot of buyers are quietly asking. He's seriously considering a condo, and the mortgage payment alone looks totally do…

How to Forgive Yourself for a Financial Mistake That Wasn't Really Yours  A listener wrote back to me this week. You might remember her from a recent episode: 69 years old, lost most of her mother's inheritance to a man she met at church, wen…

How to Stop Worrying About Money When You're Starting Over Later in Life  I got a letter recently from a woman turning 69 this year. She apologized to me twice before she even asked her question. She'd lost her mother's inheritance eighteen y…

Why I'm Changing the Name of My Podcast After All These YearsIf you saw the name change and your stomach dropped a little, I want you to read this before Monday. You deserve to hear it from me instead of piecing it together from a new logo in your p…

Why Your Raise Doesn't Feel Like a Raise  You got the number you worked for. A real percentage bump, the kind you were proud to see on your pay stub. And a few months later, you're staring at your bank account wondering where it went.  …

Siblings Inherited Two Rental Properties. Here's How to Decide Without Ruining the Relationship  Can three people who love each other split two houses without splitting the family? That's not hypothetical for one listener. Three siblings just…

Laid Off With $50,000 Saved. So Why Does It Feel Like Nothing?  She lost her job on a Tuesday. No package, no gradual transition, just a badge deactivation and a box in the car by lunch. Here's the part that surprised Ralph: she wasn't broke.…

Recession Odds Are Everywhere This Year. Here's How to Prepare Without Panicking  Economists this year can't even agree with each other. Some put recession odds at 30 percent. Others put it closer to 40. Consumer confidence has fallen to some…

Are Tariffs Really Why Your Grocery Bill Feels Higher This Year?  Tariffs are sitting at their highest average rate since the 1940s this year. Researchers estimate they're adding real, measurable cost to the typical American household's yearl…