Man sitting in a chair leaning over looking stressed and upset

His Gambling Lost Him His Savings, His Retirement, and Accumulated Hundreds of Thousands in Debt, He Withdrew $45,000 From Their Joint Account, and Is Filing Chapter 13 While She Tries to Protect the Finances He Never Had Access To

ByKristin Stones

Her husband is 34 and is entering treatment for a gambling addiction that consumed his savings, his retirement accounts, and resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit card debt and personal loans. He also withdrew $45,000 from one of their shared accounts. She is not looking for advice about the marriage. She is…

Woman sitting on couch holding money and looking at her empty wallet

She Makes Enough to Cover Her $850 Mortgage and Has Fewer Expenses Than Her Sister, Is Spending $1,500 a Month on Discretionary Costs, and Wants Financial Help With No Bank Statements, No Budget, and No Questions Asked

ByKristin Stones

Her sister is 29, earns roughly the same salary she does, has a cheaper mortgage, and fewer necessary expenses. She also cannot afford her $850 monthly mortgage payment. When she finally said that out loud, the follow-up question was obvious. Where is the money going. The answer was more than $1,500 a month in discretionary…

Man and woman arguing in the kitchen

Her Brother Lived 20 Minutes Away for Decades, Never Drove Their Father Anywhere, Skipped Most Holidays, and Didn’t Help With Daily Radiation Treatments, and Is Now Demanding Half the Equity on a House He Never Contributed a Dollar Toward

ByKristin Stones

She moved in with her father in 1997 when she was single, broke, and pregnant. It was just the two of them and her son in the house after her parents’ divorce, and she stayed for years, handling everything her father could not do for himself. He did not drive, so from 1997 onward she…

Mom yelling at teenage daughter

Her 21-Year-Old Daughter Saved Up and Paid for an Entire Friend Trip on Her Own, and Two Weeks Later Her Mom Asked Her to Cover 10% of the Family Vacation Cost (Even Though She Doesn’t Need the Help)

ByKristin Stones

Her daughter is 21, works part-time, and recently saved enough money to pay for an entire trip with her friends on her own. Two weeks after that trip, the family has a vacation planned, and her mother asked her to contribute about 10% of the total cost. Not because the family cannot afford it. Because…

Man holding a car key with a confused look on his face

He Stopped Making Payments on His Car After the Engine Blew, the Bank Charged Off the Debt and Removed it From His Credit Report, but He Can’t Scrap the Car Because the Lender Still Holds the Title

ByKristin Stones

He bought a brand-new Subaru in 2011, the engine blew a few years later, money got tight, and he stopped making payments on the loan. Capital One never came for the car. It has been sitting in his garage ever since, technically belonging to a lender that eventually charged off the debt and disappeared from…

Young couple arguing over money

Her Brother Comes Back Every Few Months With a New Emergency, Has Only Repaid a Fraction of What He Already Owes, and Her Parents Are Calling Her Selfish for Hesitating to Give Him More Money

ByKristin Stones

She has spent the past several years building her savings from scratch, and her brother is fully aware of what she has set aside. Every few months, a new emergency surfaces and a new request follows. The first time it was car repairs. The second time it was rent. Now he is asking for help…