Advice

Debt / Credit

Retirement / Investing

Saving

Spend Less Money

Careers

House and Home

Insurance

Travel

Taxes

Health Care

College

Why We Need Mentors

by August 20th, 2012

When I was a young, bright-eyed graduate student intent on reporting from a news bureau in Europe or Asia or The Middle East, I signed up for the program as a mentee, and was paired with a foreign correspondent who worked and lived in Italy.

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How To Get Whatever You Want From Customer Service, Painfully

by August 15th, 2012

My mother taught me a customer-service bargaining secret that saves me hundreds of dollars all the time, but also kills me softly and slowly.

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Reader Mail: What We Sock Away

by August 14th, 2012

So, my question is: How much do people usually keep in savings? My husband and I are both in our late 20′s, and have lived in NYC for years. We’ve always assumed most people here—especially renters—don’t usually have substantial savings accounts (or worse, are paycheck-to-paycheck).  Are we wrong? Or is our once-considered landlord being unfair? — J.M.

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Reader Mail: My Father’s Finances

by July 24th, 2012

Dear Mike,

My father turns 70 this year. He’s lived a fantastic, globe-trotting life as a journalist, but his freelancing gigs dried up about a decade ago and now he’s living off Social Security and some meager savings with old medical bills to pay. He’s very private about finances, so I’m not exactly sure what his situation is, but I am pretty sure he is right on the line of being able to support himself. He lives alone, and is friendly, but somewhat distant from our extended family. (I am his only child.)

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Reader Mail: Do I Need This Insurance Policy?

by July 17th, 2012

Do I need long term insurance coverage? Should I get a new plan once I have my finances in order? Also I’ve heard that some of them are semi-scams that don’t cover much or have restrictions on what they will cover. At this point it kind of seems crazy to put so much money into something that I may not use for 40 years or more. But then on the other hand I guess I could get in a car accident and be paralyzed tomorrow? — S.L.

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Reader Mail: Why Don’t You Want to Buy A House?

by July 10th, 2012

I’m pretty sure I read in one of your articles or comments that you didn’t plan on being a homeowner one day. I was wondering about why that might be. My parents try to be pretty practical when it comes to money and I’ve heard them say things about how rent is basically throwing away money and its better to have that money go towards a mortgage. Obviously it makes sense to rent while we’re young, but I was just curious why someone who is really into spending wisely wouldn’t want to own a home. Maybe I’m missing something? — S.S.

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Reader Mail: The Rules We Live By

by June 25th, 2012

I found your piece on NYC rents, and the exorbitant amounts we spend on them really interesting. It’s an issue I fret about, too. What’s a good rule of thumb? Should we spend 1/4 of our income? One-third? — David

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How to Get Health Care While Uninsured

by June 4th, 2012

You know how health care costs so much more in America than anywhere else in the world? That’s a huge topic that can and should be talked about, but here’s how it played out for me.

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