Houston man loses $20,000 after getting ‘fraud alert’ and handing over his bank card to someone he thought worked for Wells Fargo — here’s how to protect yourself from imposter scams
You wouldn’t hand over your bank card to a complete stranger on your doorstep — or would you? Imposter scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and it may be easier to fall victim than you might realize. Scott Merkovitch was one such victim who lost $20,000 after he got a call on May 16 from what […]
I’ve worked for the municipality for 10 years making more than $100K with a pension — but I hate my job and dread going into work. Should I quit?
For almost a decade, Joe has worked for the municipality, pulling in an enviable salary of more than $100K a year. Not only does he have job security, but he also gets generous vacation time, health insurance and a pension. His friends and family think he’s got it made. But every morning, Joe dreads going […]
I’m in my 70s and recently widowed and need to revise my will. But with 3 adult kids, I’m agonizing over how to choose which I name as my executor without risking offending the others
Imagine this scenario: Christine is in her 70s and needs to revise her will. The last time she looked at the document, her husband was still alive and their three children were toddlers. A lot has changed since then. She’s now widowed and has three adult children. Her estate includes a house and car, as […]
I’m in my 70s and recently widowed and need to revise my will. But with 3 adult kids, I’m agonizing over how to choose which I name as my executor without risking offending the others
Imagine this scenario: Christine is in her 70s and needs to revise her will. The last time she looked at the document, her husband was still alive and their three children were toddlers. A lot has changed since then — she’s now widowed and has three adult children. Her estate includes a house and car, […]
Friends with benefits: These 2 Chicago couples pooled their money to buy their ‘forever home’ together — what’s behind this ‘transformative shift’ in how Americans approach homeownership
When Austin Mark and his husband, Bryan, moved back to Chicago from the West Coast in 2024, they wanted to buy a house. They also wanted plenty of living space. They were able to bid on a bigger home, and put down a bigger down payment, because they teamed up with their friends, Nate and […]
Friends with benefits: These 2 couples pooled their money to buy their ‘forever home’ together — what’s behind this ‘transformative shift’ in how younger people approach homeownership
When Austin Mark and his husband, Bryan, moved back to Chicago from the West Coast in 2024, they wanted to buy a house. They also wanted plenty of living space. They were able to bid on a bigger home, and put down a bigger down payment, because they teamed up with their friends, Nate and […]
I’m 61 with a stellar resumé but I’ve failed to get a job — or even an interview — since my layoff 10 months ago. Do I need to conceal my age if I ever want to work again?
Imagine this scenario: Gary has been job hunting for the past 10 months after being laid off by his previous employer. He has a ton of experience and excellent references, but here’s the catch: he’s 61. While he’s sent out countless resumes, he worries that he’s already aged out of the workforce. At the same […]
Ready to retire with $1,000,000? Here are 3 big risks that can quickly turn your retirement dreams into a nightmare — even with a healthy nest egg. Protect against them now
Many hard-working Americans dream of a retirement with no stress, no daily commute and no demanding boss. Life will surely be better with the freedom to do what you want, when you want… right? Even if you have a decent nest egg of $1 million, there are potential downsides to retirement that you’ll want to […]
A Minnesota nonprofit linked to $250 million fraud scheme was just raided by the Feds — the FBI believes its records claiming it fed 1 million children ‘are phony.’ How the scam worked
A Minnesota nonprofit has been raided by the Feds in a new investigation more than a year after last year’s $250 million-meal program fraud scheme. In those allegations, Feeding Our Future is said to have had scammers steal hundreds of millions of dollars from taxpayer-funded nutrition programs for hungry children during the early days of […]
I’m 54 with zero savings, $90K in debt and my business is struggling — now my kid wants to go to college and I’m dreading having to tell her that I can’t afford to help. What are my options?
Imagine a scenario where Sarah, 54, runs a struggling business, is $90,000 in debt and has zero savings — and now her daughter is starting to look at colleges. Sarah has managed to hide her dire financial situation from her daughter, who is blissfully unaware that her mom is deeply in debt. While Sarah doesn’t […]