Personal Finance Posts

Adult Child Moved Back Home? Here's How to Tell Helping From Enabling  Nearly half of parents this year say an adult child has moved back home. That's not a rare exception anymore. It's a documented, growing trend. So if your grown child is b…

How Big Should Your Emergency Fund Be When Layoffs Are Everywhere?  More than half of employed Americans say they're worried about losing their job this year. Layoff announcements keep showing up in the news, and a lot of them mention AI rest…

Is Your Work Life Insurance Actually Enough? Here's How to Find Out  Most people with life insurance through their job have never looked at the actual number. They just assume it's enough. That assumption is worth questioning, especially sinc…

Repair or Replace Your Car? A 5-Step Way to Decide  You hear it before you even turn the key all the way. That new sound. Your stomach drops. Is this the repair that finally fixes things, or just the next chapter in a very expensive story?  …

5 Questions to Ask Before You Refinance Your Mortgage  Mortgage rates are moving again, and everyone seems to have an opinion. Refinance now. Wait a little longer. Rates are about to drop further. When you're talking about one of the biggest …

Student Loan in Default? Here's What Happens Before Wage Garnishment Starts  A letter shows up with the Department of Education's name on it. Your student loan is officially in default, and wage garnishment is starting again for the first tim…

Grocery Prices Keep Rising: Here's the Real Reason and What to Do About It  A listener sent in her receipts. Same store, same ten items, eight months apart. The total jumped from around $165 a week to $211. Same brands, same family of four, n…

Your phone buzzes with an urgent message: "Your bank account has been locked. Click here immediately." Your heart starts racing. Is it real, or is someone trying to steal your money? How to Spot a Fake Bank Text Before It Costs You Money  F…

Retirement feels far away, until one day it isn't. If you've ever wondered whether you're actually saving enough, you're asking one of the most important financial questions you'll ever face. How Much Should You Save for Retirement? 5 Steps to Kno…

CD Interest Rates Are High Right Now: Is a Certificate of Deposit Right for You?  Banks are advertising certificates of deposit with some of the best interest rates in years. A guaranteed return sounds like an easy win, but is locking up your…

Is Your Savings Account Quietly Costing You Money?  You finally started saving. Then a coworker mentioned they're earning over four percent on their savings while yours is barely earning anything. Suddenly you're wondering if you've been doin…

Should You Save Money or Pay Off Debt First? Here's the Right Order to Do Both  Every extra dollar seems to come with a decision attached. Save it for emergencies, or throw it at your debt? Pick one, and it feels like you're neglecting the ot…

Nothing About Your Finances Is Too Small to Bring to God  You bow your head to pray about your bills, and a thought stops you cold: doesn't God have bigger things to deal with? Isn't my bank account too small to bother Him with?  That …

You Don't Have to Be a Money Expert to Raise Money-Smart Kids  You learned about money the hard way — through mistakes, stress, and lessons you wish someone had taught you sooner. Now you're watching your own kids and thinking: not them. Not …

The Simple Way I Tell People to Figure Out If They Need Life Insurance (and How Much)  It's the financial topic nobody wants to think about. It forces you to picture a world without you in it, so most people just avoid it entirely.  I ge…

5 Things I Tell Anyone Drowning in Medical Debt They Never Asked For  You didn't overspend. You didn't make a dumb choice. You got sick, or someone you love did, and the bills buried you anyway.  That's the reality a listener wrote to me…

How Do You Talk to Your Kid About Money When You Think They're WrongHe didn't come home angry about nothing. He came home with a $40,000 loan balance and two years of house hunting that went nowhere, and he landed on a word for it. Capitalism is evi…

Renting vs. Buying: My 25% Rule for Figuring Out What You Can Actually Afford  If you're renting and someone in your life has told you you're "just throwing money away," I want you to hear this first: you're not behind. That advice sounds tru…

The Real Reason Couples Keep Having the Same Money Fight  The fight always starts small. A purchase, a number, a raised eyebrow. Then somehow it's the same argument for the hundredth time. A listener wrote in describing exactly this after 11 …

You Can Be the One Who Ends Your Family's Money Struggles  A listener wrote in describing something a lot of people carry quietly. Her parents lived paycheck to paycheck her whole childhood. Her grandparents lost everything more than once. Co…

The One Word That Changes How Christians Should Think About Money  A listener wrote in carrying guilt he'd held for years. He works hard, he's ambitious, and he genuinely wants to build wealth, enough to be generous, take care of his family, …

The Hidden Math Behind Buy Now, Pay Later Purchases  Four easy payments. No interest. One click at checkout. It feels harmless every single time, which is exactly the point.  A listener wrote in describing a year of buy now, pay later …

Why Your Credit Card Balance Keeps Rising Even After You Stopped Using It  You cut up the card. You haven't charged a single thing to it in months. You're even paying more than the minimum sometimes. And the balance is still higher than when …

Should You Keep Giving When You're Deep in Debt? Here's How to Think About It  If you've ever watched the offering plate come around while your credit card balance sits in the back of your mind, you know the tension. Give, and you wonder if y…