Households earning $100,000 or more are cutting spending more aggressively. What’s going on?
We want to hear from readers who have stories to share about the effects of increasing costs and a changing economy. If you’d like to share your experience, write to readerstories@marketwatch.com. Please include your name and the best way to reach you. A reporter may be in touch. Higher-earning households are feeling the inflationary pinch. Consumer […]
‘I am angry’: I’m an unmarried stay-at-home mother in a 20-year relationship, but my boyfriend won’t put my name on the deed of our house. Am I unreasonable?
I have been in my relationship for almost 20 years. For personal reasons, we are not married but we have a 10-year-old child. When our child was born, we decided that I would be a stay-at-home parent because my low-paying job didn’t cover the costs of child care, and at the time, we were stretched. […]
‘We’re headed for a family feud’: My father offered his 3 kids equal monetary gifts. My siblings took cash. I took stock. It’s soared in value — now they’re crying foul
Dear Quentin, Several years before my father’s death, he offered me and my two siblings each an early “cash gift” from his estate in the amount of whatever the maximum non-taxable amount was at the time. He was an active investor and offered the gift in the form of the stock instead of cash. My siblings […]
My stepbrother helped me get started in tech. I allowed him to live in my late’s father’s home. He told me, ‘Your dad wanted me to live here.’ What do I owe him?
My father dated someone when I was in early grade school, and mentored one of her sons, becoming the father figure he never had. For simplicity, I’ll refer to him as a stepbrother. I was about eight years younger, and my stepbrother helped me with some key decisions after I graduated. One key piece of […]
‘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 […]
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 […]