JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo earnings show the good, the bad and the ugly of people’s finances. So how are they holding up?
Friday’s wave of big-bank earnings gives an important glimpse into Americans’ finances amid high prices, rising interest rates and recession worries. At first glance, most consumers appear to be keeping their heads above water.A day after December inflation data showed price increases coming off the boil – but still high — fourth-quarter earnings showed some […]
‘Am I crazy?’ I’ve paid my fiancée rent for 9 years and spent $10,000 improving her home. She’s also listed on my health insurance. What should I do?
I have a situation that is causing a lot of issues in my relationship. We have been dating for 17 years, have lived together for close to nine years and have been engaged for six. When I moved into her house, we agreed I would pay $600 a month in rent. Over the years, I […]
I sold my late mother’s home for $250,000. I make $80,000 and have $220,000 in student debt. I want to buy a house. Should I use all my inheritance for a down payment?
My mom passed away, and left me her house, which I just sold and will net $250,000. I’m 41 years old with no real retirement savings. I make $80,000 a year, and I am maxing out contributions to my employer-matching retirement account. I own my car, pay off my credit cards in full every month, […]
‘She never has enough money’: I was adopted by a wealthy family, but my biological grandma says I need to financially support her — and buy her a condo
My biological mom died when I was a toddler, and the state felt that my grandmother wasn’t appropriate as a placement given that they found she had mental-health issues at that time. I was adopted by an upper-class family, and all communication with my biological grandma was prohibited after the adoption. Fast forward to when […]
My mother’s will leaves everything to her 3 children. My brother died suddenly — and his wife says she will receive her late husband’s share
Dear Quentin, My father died in 2018 and everything passed to my mother per their wills that were made in 2015. My sister, brother and I were next to inherit what’s left, equally. No one’s spouse was mentioned in the will. My mother is still alive, but she is not in the best of health […]
The ‘best job in America’ pays over $120,000 a year — and offers a low-stress, healthy work-life balance
We’ve had the great resignation, quiet quitting, resistance to going back to the office — and now? It turns out people are looking for happiness, stability, flexibility and a good salary.In 2023, in the wake of the worst days of the pandemic, most U.S. job switchers and others seeking employment want to land a job […]
I met my wife in 2019 and we married in 2020. I put her name on the deed of my $998,000 California home. Now I want a divorce. What can I do?
Dear Quentin, I bought my home in California for $520,000 in 2017. It’s now worth $980,000. In 2019, I met my now-wife who moved in at the beginning of 2020. We married six months later in July 2020. Things were going great and we decided to have one bank account. I also added my wife […]
‘He is financially secure and owns two homes’: I finally met the man of my dreams, but he treated our waitress like dirt and tipped her 10%. Am I overreacting?
Dear Quentin, I’ll keep this short, as I don’t take any pleasure in reliving it. I have corresponded with a man for two months on a dating site that shall remain nameless (except to say it starts with T and ends in R). He had a very strong and decisive personality, which I liked, and […]
‘I can no longer be an executive at a high level’: Workers with disabilities, including long COVID, are finding their place as companies become more flexible
Dana Pollard started a new job at the end of 2022, after spending three years recovering from a 2019 stroke.Pollard, 56, lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with his wife. After the stroke, he could not recognize her. He couldn’t remember things, and one side of his body was partially paralyzed. After months of physical and […]
Workers in California and Washington State will get more pay transparency
Do you know how much your job is worth? Millions of Americans are finally getting the answer. On Jan. 1, California and Washington state began requiring employers to include pay ranges with their job listings. The two states follow New York City and Colorado in implementing pay-transparency measures. As of Dec. 4, just 44% of […]