What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to summaries of five or fewer words. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question. 1. Buying stuff for baby 2. Tax loss harvesting question 3. Nice hair cutting tip 4. Thoughts on “robo investment services” 5. Which slow cooker? 6. Home ownership challenge 7. Clearing out book collection 8. Saving money on work trip 9. Afraid of culture when moving 10. Is my …

I’m not in the business of predicting stock market crashes. Plenty of so-called financial experts have died on that hill and I have no intention of joining them. I don’t know what the stock market is going to do today, tomorrow, next year, or any other year. Your guess is as good as mine. But I do know two things: We’ve had eight straight years of positive stock market returns. And as of this writing, the year-to-date return for 2017 is …

A few weeks ago, I got married in rural Wisconsin, in the backyard of the house in which my wife grew up. The following morning, after the parties had ended and the out-of-towners had left, I found myself taking a walk through the quiet streets of the town, past endless corn fields and quaint red farmhouses. I stopped at one point and looked out over the landscape of rolling hills and lush greenery, and I noticed the home of my …

Last week, Marriott International announced the kickoff of their 2018 Courtyard Super Bowl Sleepover Contest. The contest gives one lucky fan the opportunity to wake up on the field of Super Bowl LII after spending the night in a field-level suite converted into a Courtyard guestroom. Contest winners will enjoy in-stadium experiences and exclusive events throughout the Super Bowl weekend, all leading up to the game itself. Entering is simple — all fans have to do is post their most …

In a typical week, I hear from 20 to 30 readers by email or social media. Typically, the 12 most interesting questions make it into the reader mailbag. What about the other 10 or so questions? The honest truth is that most of those other questions boil down to the same handful of questions, over and over, with minor variations. Today, I’m going to answer the 10 most common issues in the most straightforward manner that I can. Before I get started, though, two caveats: …

To check your credit report, or not to check your credit report – that is the question. And for 59% of Americans, the answer is not to check your credit report, or at least not check it often, according to the results of a national survey of 1,000 people released in August. The survey revealed that only about four in 10 (41%) of Americans actually check their credit report once a year or more often, which can be a mistake. …

Here’s a list of wonderful things I noticed yesterday that cost nothing (or next to it): Waking up naturally, without an alarm clock going off and forcing me awake. Feeling the warmth of my youngest son in bed next to me, still sleeping peacefully after he climbed in during the night after a bad dream. Running my tongue along the smooth surface of my freshly-brushed teeth. Tasting my latest batch of cold brew coffee, made from freshly ground beans that …

“Don’t you ever get tired of just saving money?” “Why don’t you just live a little? You have money in the bank and can afford it!” I’ve heard these things for many years from my own internal voice of conscience. I’ve also heard variations on it for many years from different people in my life. I can afford this little treat for myself, so why not indulge? It’s just a little thing in the big scope of things, so it …

Anywhere you look, you’ll find financial horror stories about people who found themselves deep in credit card debt. They tend to highlight factors that contributed to their plight like the relative ease of making charges with a credit card and how paying the monthly minimums didn’t help. The truth is that credit cards are a tool for building good credit and making purchases. And, just like any tool, they can be misused and that’s when trouble starts. The fact of …

The flu isn’t just a cold. It’s a serious health issue that can be fatal, especially if a secondary infection like pneumonia sets in. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the number-one way to protect yourself is to get a flu shot. While not a 100% guarantee, it’s still your best line of defense. The immunization has about an 80% efficacy rate in people under age 60, and works about 50% of the time for those older than 65. …