Man holding his head and looking like he's regretting something

He Did Everything Right When He Sold His Car and Now He’s Trying to Figure Out What to Do About His Own Insurance After the Buyer Totaled It Less Than 24 Hours Later

ByKristin Stones

The car sold yesterday morning with everything appearing legitimate: a valid license and insurance shown by the buyer, a paid mechanic inspection beforehand, a verifiable work history, cash payment in real bills, the transaction recorded on home cameras, and a signed bill of sale. The buyer did ask about listing a lower sale price on…

Man sitting at his desk looking very stressed out

He Owes $23,615 on a Car Worth Far Less, Has No Insurance After Two Years of Lapsed Coverage, Is 109 Days Past Due, and Just Started a New Job That Might Be Enough to Save It If He Can Get Organized Fast Enough

ByKristin Stones

He’s 33, financially disorganized for most of his adult life, and now trying to fix things before circumstances get worse. His 2021 Civic loan started at $23,939 with a monthly payment of $504 at 14.6% APR. Over two years and four months, he’s paid $1,338 toward the actual principal and $6,474 toward interest. The current…

Friends fighting at the table

Her Friend Turned a Two-Person 50/50 Trip Into a Three-Bedroom Airbnb With a Boyfriend and an Overnight Guest and Still Expects the Costs to Split Evenly While Taking the Master Bedroom With the Private Bath for Herself

ByKristin Stones

She and her friend planned a trip to the Dominican Republic, agreeing to split the Airbnb, food, and alcohol costs 50/50. That arrangement was straightforward until her friend started adding people to the trip: her boyfriend staying the entire time, plus a local friend she wanted to include as an overnight guest too, which led…

Woman sitting on couch with her head in her hands

Her Mother Took Out $10,000 in Federal Student Loans Using Her Daughter’s Social Security Number and Personal Information, Registered the Account to Her Own Email, and Has Let the Loans Default

ByKristin Stones

She’d discovered roughly $10,000 in student loans tied to her name entirely by accident, noticing her credit score declining rapidly while checking details through a student credit card. Tracking down the source, she found three separate loans through a federal student loan servicer, loans she’d never applied for, never signed for, and had no prior…

Old man holding his hands on his cane

His New Young Wife Thought She Was Marrying Into Rental Properties and Substantial Savings But Didn’t Realize His Assets Were Already Locked in a Trust His Daughter Controlled

ByKristin Stones

Her sister and brother-in-law had been married roughly 30 years, raising five children together before eventually divorcing. About 20 years later, as her brother-in-law approached 80, he hired a young housekeeper who reportedly fell for him quickly and convinced him to marry her. By that point, her brother-in-law owned his own home along with about…

Woman looking stressed while holding receipts and a bunch of credit cards

9 Ways People Are Rethinking Their Finances (and It Has Nothing to Do With Being Broke)

ByKristin Stones

At first, rising prices felt like something temporary. A spike here, a jump there, and the assumption that things would eventually settle back down. Many households adjusted a little and kept moving forward. But after watching these changes stick around, it is starting to feel like something deeper is shifting. It is not only about…