Advice

Defer Student Loans? Paying the Minimum on Credit Cards?

by April 30th, 2013
If I ultimately have to either stop paying my loans (which are in deferment while I'm a student) or go back to paying just the minimums on my cards, what's the better choice? The dollar amount I would save monthly is the same.
Advice

Just Say No

by November 9th, 2012
Is there a kind and gentle way for C. to say "Mom, I can't give you any more money?" Are there resources we can suggest to help her develop better spending habits (if it matters, she's in her mid-50's and—thank goodness!—has a generous pension when she retires, so retirement saving isn't a big issue)?
Advice

When Other People Get Promoted

by September 28th, 2012
She absolutely deserves the promotion, and I don't want to seem like I begrudge her success. I also think I may be making too much of a big deal about this because I'm thinking about leaving my job in a few months anyway. — Anonymous
Advice

My Company Doesn’t Offer a Retirement Savings Plan

by August 28th, 2012
I work at a job that I really really like. One of the few downsides is that there is no such thing as a 401(k) and I know there won't be ever. So as a 30-year-old, I have a Roth IRA set up for retirement. And all the articles say "Contribute to your 401(k)!" but what if that is not an option? Should I have a traditional IRA as well? Should I invest in a jar to stuff my money into? — K.K.
Advice

The Personal Finance Industrial Complex and Our Raison D’Etre

by January 16th, 2013

Helaine Olen has written a book about why the personal finance industry is pretty much disgusting, and in this great interview with Anna Clark for the American Prospect, she explains it all. BAAASSICCALLLYYY this is exactly why our site exists: “One of my complaints with the whole personal-finance industrial complex is the censorious, judgmental tone, that all too often sounds like a modern updating of a Victorian morality tract, complete with the wealthy so-called personal-finance experts lecturing the less financially well-off on how to behave.”

Advice

Getting An Actual Date and Time Down is Crucial

by October 9th, 2012
I know the onus is entirely upon me to pursue an informational interview with this man; it's just that figuring out how to politely pick his brain is proving a challenge. I tend to be reserved and to way over-think things; please help me figure out how to smoothly and tactfully request a career chat with this guy. — K.G.
Advice

Reader Mail: My Credit Card Company Reduced My Credit Limit

by September 24th, 2012
I just noticed that the credit available on my three credit cards has been drastically reduced. For example, I used to have a $5,000 limit on one, and now it's down to $1,800. It's not a problem, since I am determined not to use these cards Ever Again, but it seems counterintuitive.
Advice

Who Opened My Mail?

by December 5th, 2012
How worried should I be about receiving credit card offers in the mail that have obviously been already opened by someone else? This has happened to me twice in the last six months, and I even notified my post office after the first time it happened. What else can I do to protect myself against identify theft and keep my mail secure? — M.V.
Advice

Death by a Thousand Small Purchases?

by October 2nd, 2012
So Mike/Readers, if I may ask: What tricks do you use to make sure you're properly stocked/organized/under control and avoid overspending dumb money because you're not prepared. — S.M.M.
Advice

Reader Mail: Should I Borrow Money from Retirement?

by September 11th, 2012
I've currently got two credit cards with balances: one with $5,500 (interest rate is 9.9%) and one with $1,700 (with a 20.99% interest rate). I've got about $4,000 in my Roth IRA, none of which is invested. I'm trying to figure out if it's worthwhile to withdraw the $1,700 from my IRA to pay down the higher-interest credit card and focus all my monthly payments on the lower-interest one. I've always been told "never borrow against your retirement," but it seems that this might be a good idea. Help?! — N.C.
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