Man looking at his compute holding his hands to his face

He Took a 15% Ownership Stake Instead of a Raise Three Years Ago, Watched the Company Land Major Clients and Surge in Revenue This Year, and Just Got a $14,000 Tax Bill for Profits the Founder Is Keeping Inside the Business While He Receives Nothing

ByKristin Stones

That’s the situation a creative director finds himself in after accepting a 15 percent ownership stake in a boutique marketing agency as a substitute for a salary increase. The agency has grown significantly this year, landing two major enterprise clients and generating strong revenue through the spring. The founder’s response to that success has been…

Daughter looking upset over something her mother is looking at on her phone

She Moved Back In With Her Mom After Years of No Contact, Started Paying Rent and Borrowing Money From Friends to Cover the WiFi Bill, and Then Discovered Her Mom Was Sitting on $65,000 She Was About to Invest Into a Scam From TikTok

ByKristin Stones

That’s the reality one young woman is trying to sort through after moving back in with her mother following years of not speaking. She’d been living with her dad, lost contact with her mom after seventh grade, and recently reconnected and moved in. What she found wasn’t a fresh start. It was a household where…

Woman and man having a terrible job interview

After Four Rounds of Interviews and Six Weeks of Waiting, the Recruiter Finally Presented a Salary 15 Percent Below What They Had Discussed, and Instead of Making His Case He Let the Silence Sit There Until She Went Back to Find Money That Was Apparently There the Whole Time

ByKristin Stones

That’s the approach one job seeker took when the recruiter finally presented the numbers at the end of a marathon hiring process. The salary was lower than what had been floated during the initial screening call, and instead of launching into a justification for why he deserved more, he simply went quiet. Not for a…

Young woman looking shocked when paying bills

Her Divorce Attorney Read Her Closing Email, Decided Not to Respond, Billed Her for the Time It Took to Do Nothing, and Left Her Paying an Invoice for a Question That Still Hasn’t Been Answered

ByKristin Stones

That’s where one Colorado woman finds herself after wrapping up a divorce process she describes as lengthy and costly. Her attorney represented her well throughout, which makes the final invoice sting more than it might otherwise. After completing everything required by the divorce decree, she sent a simple email asking whether anything else needed to…

Parents arguing with teenage son

He Made $24,000 on an Investment His Parents Funded, Offered to Repay the Original $6,000 Multiple Times, Bought Them Gifts, Covered Household Costs, and Still Can’t Get Them to Accept That He Owes Them Something

ByKristin Stones

That’s the situation a young man finds himself in after his parents lent him $6,000 a few years ago to make an investment that significantly outperformed expectations. He recently sold it for $24,000, immediately offered to repay the original principal, and was turned down. He’s tried buying things for them, contributing to household expenses, and…

Dad using laptop with daughter

His 21 and 18-Year-Old Are Comfortable Living at Home and Showing No Signs of Leaving, So He’s Creating a Household Contract With Rent, Mandatory Savings, and a Retirement Account Funded by the Rent They Think Is Just Paying for Food

ByKristin Stones

He has three kids: a 21-year-old daughter, an 18-year-old son, and a 16-year-old still in high school. All three have part-time jobs, they’re respectful, and they generally follow through on what’s asked of them, though usually only after being asked. That last part is what’s driving the conversation. The older two are adults now, and…