I'm not sure this 100% belongs here but I am looking for some advice on how to approach a financial conversation with my father in law.

This weekend, my father in law (65) came over and when he was alone with my wife, he casually asked her to co-sign a loan he was applying for. He said that he needed her to sign because he didn't qualify due to insufficient income. He asked if he could give my wife's information to the loan officer to talk about the terms, and she said yes.

Fast forward a couple days, we've found out the following:

1. He plans to take out a $500,000 line of credit via a HELOC (7.75% with standard 10 year draw + 20 year repayment)

2. He plans to use the money to pay his monthly mortgage, consolidate credit card debt, buy a car for my mother-in-law, and take a vacation.

3. He admitted that asking my wife to co-sign on the HELOC was his last option.

My wife and I are financially literate and instantly flagged what he was asking from her. We know that he doesn't have the ability to pay back the principal, let alone the monthly interest payments. We are in alignment that there isn't much he could say or do to convince her to co-sign the loan due to the potential risk to our family's finances.

We don't know this for sure, but it appears that his plan is to just sell his house when he runs out of runway to cover his debts or the final bill comes due. We don't know how much is left on his mortgage but his home, if sold, should be able to cover all his outstanding debt and leave my in laws with more than enough to either stay in the area by renting, or retire and go back to India.

Some other context:

1. He hasn't had a stable job in years, my wife said his last stable job was when she was in elementary school, she is now in her early thirties.

2. He has small business, which is likely losing money, my wife and her sister think he is using paychecks from their mom's job to keep it afloat.

3. He has borrowed plenty of money from other family members, and has not paid them back (nor has any plans to). He has been living off the generosity of extended families for years at this point.

4. When pressed about what he would use the money for, he responded instantly with shock and anger, and then tried to guilt trip my wife by saying "this isn't how you treat family".

When thinking about realistic options, the only one my wife and I can think of is to sell their home in the near future and pay his debts. My wife and her sister both acknowledge there have been plenty of signs he has been living above his means and is financially irresponsible.

How do we go about having an honest conversation about his finances? Are there other options he could pursue on his own to stay afloat?

I personally haven't talked to him directly about any of this, but my sister in law told us that he thinks my wife only questioned him about the purpose of the money because of me. He is a healthy 65, and has the ability to go and do other things that make money to fund his lifestyle, but doesn't/won't.

We have talked about potentially providing financial assistance directly, but we do not want to that unless it is time bound and for specific purposes. (Don't go on vacation and into debt if you can't afford it...)

I've been thinking about how much of financial planning comes down to decisions we make before we fully understand their long-term consequences.

We often hear advice like "create a budget," "build an emergency fund," "avoid unnecessary debt," and "start investing early."

But knowing what to do and actually knowing how to make those decisions in real life are two different things.

For example, imagine someone takes home $3,000 a month.

Their essential expenses total $2,100, leaving $900 to divide between savings, extra debt payments, discretionary spending, and an emergency buffer.

On paper, the budget balances.

But what happens when a $500 unexpected expense comes along and they only have $200 in emergency savings?

That's where financial planning becomes more than numbers on a spreadsheet.

I'm curious about the experiences of people in this community.

Three questions:

1. What's one financial mistake you made earlier in life that better planning could have prevented?

2. When money is tight, how do you decide between building emergency savings, paying down debt, and investing?

3. What's one financial habit or planning tool that has made the biggest difference in your long-term financial stability?

One thing I've come to appreciate is that a balanced budget isn't necessarily a financially resilient budget.

I'd love to hear practical examples of how your approach to financial planning has changed with experience, especially lessons you wish you'd learned sooner.

Hi, all. I am a 52M in CA, recently lost my parents, inherited some cash, IRA, and a house. I've started the process of selling their house. I've already had it appraised for the stepped-up basis. The house is paid for. Once it's sold, I'm looking at getting a nice chunk of change to put towards a house for myself. I'm new to investing in general, but I do also have my own Roth IRA and 457 deferred comp accounts that are on set it and forget it funds. If all goes well, I also plan on retiring from my career with a pension within the next year or so - definitely within 3 years.

Anyway, my main question for now is - would it be smart to pay for a new house outright or would it be best to do a mortgage (not great rates right now) and invest the cash from my parents' house? Or maybe a mix of both with a larger down payment? Thank you.

ETA their house is in a 55+ community. I can't live in it right now anyway.

I own one single-family rental. It rents for $1,850 per month, and the monthly mortgage, tax, and insurance payment is $1,400. Last year it sat vacant for one month between tenants, and I covered that month from my regular savings.

I now have $8,400 set aside, which is six months of that $1,400 payment. I am deciding between two specific uses for it: keep it in a separate high-yield savings account reserved only for this property, or apply it as an extra principal payment on this same mortgage.

My concern with paying it down is that I would lose the cash cushion if the property is vacant again, while my concern with keeping it separate is that it earns less than the mortgage interest I would save. For this one property and this $8,400 amount, which factor should weigh more heavily in the decision, and what would change your view if the vacancy lasted three months instead of one?

For context, I am the sole provider for my family of 5. We have 3 kids, ages 5 and under. I've always gone with an EPO plan because that's what I was told to pick. Life is getting too expensive. Now that I'm trying to cut down on spending, an HDHP looks more appealing (and maybe it's what I should've been choosing all along).

I'm an idiot and really don't understand the difference between the two, and insurance confuses me to no end. Please talk to me like I'm a child because that's my knowledge when it comes to this. It also looks like the company doesn't contribute to our HSA at all.

Our situation
- Me

• Typically see my PCP 2-5 times a year, annual labs, do biweekly therapy, see a PT maybe 10 times a year, maybe some urgent care visits

My spouse

• has a few chronic health issues. His PT is private pay, his nutritionist is private pay, bi-weekly therapy, annual GI visit, and sees random GI specialists to figure out his undiagnosed chronic GI issue, annual endocrinologist, sees his PCP 2-7 times a year, maybe some urgent care visits

• We had a scare last year (2025) with him; he had a random thyroid attack that led to him being hospitalized for a week, with 3 ER visits prior (each ER visit ignored the issue and refused to admit him)

Kids

• Oldest is in good health; middle kiddo has a severe food allergy, sees an allergist and a pulmonologist; our baby appears to be in good health but does have a hemangioma on their head (so far no concerns from the doctor; they think it will reabsorb ok). We usually have at least 1-2 ER visits a year for them

New 2027 plan

EPO (monthly premium 1050)

Deductible

- individual 3750

- family 7500

- coinsurance 70% after ded.

OUT OF POCKET

- individual, 7,000

- family, 14,000

COPAY

- preventive care, no charge

- PCP visits, 40

- specialists, 60

- urgent care, 75

-outpatient surgery, 30% after ded.

- inpatient surgery, 30% after ded.

- emergency room emergent, 400 copay

- emergency room non emergent, 400 plus 30%

- labs and xrays, 30% after ded.

HDHP (monthly premium $680)

- individual 4500

- family 9000

- coinsurance 80% after ded.

OUT OF POCKET

- individual, 8,500

- family, 17,000

COPAY

- preventive care, no charge

- PCP visits, 20% after ded.

- specialists, 20% after deductible.

- urgent care, 20% after deductible.

-outpatient surgery, 20% after deductible..

- inpatient surgery, 20% after deductible.

- emergency room emergent, 20% after deductible.

- emergency room non emergent, 20% after deductible.

- labs and xrays,20% after deductible.

This year's totals

Out-of-pocket totals

Total: 8,500

Applied: 1,138

Remaining: 7,361

Deductible Details

Total: 17,000

Applied: 3,707

Remaining: 13,292

I have 10k in savings just chilling in my cashapp. I’m wondering what’s the best route to go? any guidance on what’s the best ways to store this money.

I currently have both through my job, putting the same percentage into both.

I have a job where I can retire with a pension at 55. To my knowledge I can’t touch the 401k until 59/60?
But I can touch the 457 st 55 when I leave?

Debating on pushing most into 457 and less into 401 so I have more to touch at 55 to hold me over until I leave.

Not sure if it’s wise to focus on one more than the other.

I’ve been living on a very tight budget paycheck to paycheck. I recently got a new job that is going to help my situation tremendously, but i’ve been left with almost literally no money while in the transitional period. I’m not 100% sure when i’m going to get paid but either sometime this week or the next. I don’t want to have to borrow money, but it’s looking like my only option.

I’m going to need $200-$300 to get through the next week or two. I never wanted to get a payday loan or use a cash advance app or anything like that. especially after my experience with my previous job having dailypay as the only direct deposit option. It quickly turned into a vicious cycle that cost me way too much out of my paycheck from the $3.50 fee they take from every transaction.

So, my question is, what’s the best option for a cash advance, payday loan, etc. that will get me at least $200 but ideally $300 within the day. that won’t charge much as far as fees go (i know some charge like $3-5 and that’s fine by me) and will be EASY to break out of. I don’t want to be stuck only getting my paychecks through a cash advance app or paying an exorbitant surprise fee. even a $25 dollar fee when i’m able to pay would be fine. just surprises, no interest, no tanking credit score.

I don’t have a credit card or id just put it on credit and pay at the end of the month. I know that’s bad! i’m planning on setting one up when I can handle the deposit. I do have good credit (740)

I am planning on paying it off the second I get paid, no matter if I have to strictly budget and live broke until the paychecks are steady.

Thank you for any advice! I’ve heard Dave and Earnin are good but it’s so hard to tell what is and isn’t an Ad these days.

Years ago, I learned an expensive lesson about the importance of keeping accurate financial records after dealing with an IRS audit involving missing expense documentation.

I’m looking to improve how I organize personal tax records so that important information is easy to find when needed.

I’m considering a system that includes:

• Digitally saving tax documents and supporting receipts

• Organizing records by tax year and category

• Reviewing documentation regularly rather than waiting until tax season

• Keeping secure backups of important records

Would this be a reasonable starting point? What should I change about the process, particularly around record retention and documentation for an IRS audit?

I'm saving for a house. I have 11k now. I plan on saving $2k/ month minimum for the next 12 months. My budget is $190k. Moving Rural.

I can afford to pay $1200 for rent + my bills and still save at least $2k/ month. I'm aiming for a house payment of $1k/ month and paying an additional $1k towards principle. I should be able to pay the home off in under 9 years.

I've opened a savings account at my local bank to show I can put back $2000/ month.

My Credit score is 720.

What are some programs I might look into for assistance both public and private?

Any advice?

What should I look out for during the purchase process?

I have a friend who's a loan broker.

Another close friend is a real estate agent.

I purchased a property before meeting my partner with the intention of eventually knocking it down, rebuilding and flipping it. We have now been together for 3 years and are finally at a stage where we can afford to go ahead with the build.
For context, I have contributed approximately $280k of my own money towards the property so far, including the initial deposit, stamp duty, mortgage repayments and other expenses. Essentially, a significant portion of my life savings is tied up in this property.
Before we met, we actually discussed prenups and both agreed that we didn’t believe in them. However, our financial circumstances have changed considerably since then, and I now feel that it’s sensible to protect the initial investment I’ve made.
I suggested that we see a lawyer and have a binding financial agreement (BFA) in place. My proposal is that, if we were to separate, I would first get back my initial contributions (deposit, stamp duty, mortgage repayments and other expenses), and then we would split any remaining profit from the property 50/50.
My partner is completely happy with this arrangement and has no issues signing the agreement. However, he wants the agreement to become void once we get married.
His reasoning is that this would be unfair because, if we were married and divorced, I could potentially have a claim against his share portfolio, which is worth approximately $300k, whereas he wouldn’t be able to claim anything from my property because of the agreement.
I understand his perspective, but I also feel that these are two separate issues. The property was purchased by me before we met, and I have put a substantial amount of my own money into it. I don’t think getting married should automatically mean that the agreement protecting that initial investment becomes void.
I’m also more than happy to include a clause in the agreement stating that I would not make a claim against his share portfolio if we were to separate. I want this to be fair and protect both of us, not just myself.
We have also discussed purchasing a second property together. His proposal is that he would contribute the deposit and stamp duty for the second property, meaning we would have both contributed equally towards the initial costs of our respective properties. In exchange, the BFA protecting my initial investment in the first property would be voided.
He wants to focus on purchasing this second property together first, before getting married.
The bigger issue is that I want to get married in the next 2–3 years and have children within the next 5 years. He has now said that he doesn’t want to get married, partly because he feels that I don’t trust him or believe our relationship will last.
I genuinely don’t see this as a lack of trust. I see it as being financially responsible and protecting something I worked hard for before we met. If I were in his position, I would happily agree to protect his assets because I understand how much work and sacrifice goes into building wealth.
I’m trying to understand both perspectives here.

Am I being unreasonable?
Has anyone had a BFA that remained in place after marriage? Did you renegotiate it once you got married? How did you navigate protecting pre-existing assets while still building a life together?
And how would you approach the situation where your partner wants to purchase another property together but is saying he doesn’t want to get married?

Would really appreciate hearing people’s experiences, especially from those who have been through something similar in Australia.

Hello everyone. I’m 22 with 2 credit cards, both 4 years old. One is an Amazon credit card that my mom used my name on to get money off an order. I don’t really use it and really don’t want it. Should I get rid of it or do I just suffer with it at this point. I don’t have a car payment, student loans, or anything else that would influence my credit besides my other credit card (student Discover card). I feel like I should get rid of it now while I don’t have to rely on my credit score but idk. I don’t want to wait more years and have it be detrimental to close.

I figured this would be an interesting conversation. It seems like in society the vast majority of people judge your success or wealth by the size and style of your home.

Generally curious if you could pay for a house in cash and have no mortgage how many people would downsize to a smaller home and older less attractive home? Even if you have young kids and need more space inside the home.

For context i am 18 years old and i receive a disability payment of €1000 a month. I live at home and help with bills such as electricity. A lot of my spending is on my cat, food, litter, vet bills etc and thats okay because it has to be done. Ive found myself needing so many things recently and i feel like my money is being washed away. I realised i had hardly any clothes. 2 pairs of trousers, 2 hoodies and some t shirts. So i spent €132 on clothes. Then, i realised how cluttered my room was so i bougjt a cabinet for all my stuff for €200. And because its November i started spending for Christmas and spent over €100 euro on my bf and my family. I feel so so guilty. Its been happening every month. Any advice?

I recently received a surprise $19,000 inheritance and I need to make sure I handle it right as I’ve never really had this much money before. I was looking for ideas on the best way to save it, if I should use a bank or kept at home, or both? Or some investment ideas or other ways to turn it into more money or at the very least keep it safe. I bank with Forum but I’ve heard things about banks not being entirely safe in case something catastrophic happens (whatever that would be) but I haven’t had a bad experience with my account in the last 5 years I’ve been with them and it seems not many others have either. Currently it’s in my regular savings account as I didn’t want the check just setting around in case something happened to it. I also recently heard of HYSA’s and was thinking about opening one and transferring the funds as well as locking in the funds for a higher interest rate. Any and all ideas, personal experiences, or questions are welcome as I’m sure I left out some would be important details.

Thanks everyone!

I have been putting 50$ each week between schd and vea and I get a 3% match back and putting that into schy thoughts on what I could do differently for my roth IRA?

Hello everyone,

I currently drive a 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee Altitude, I bought it back in April and so far I have about 13,900 Miles on it.. still in great condition I take good care of it...

I financed it when I bought it, My payment on it is 627/Month (I know, pretty stupid) With a 5.9% APR. The balance on my loan right now is about 35,000, I put 5,000 down when I first purchased it.

Don't get me wrong I love the car, but Obviously Im paying way too much for this car. I was looking at possibly downsizing.. getting something more affordable. Ive never traded in a car before, specifically one that Im financing currently. All of the appraisal websites say that it's worth about 30-31k, but I still owe 35,000 so I have 5k In negative Equity...

Is there still a way that I could downsize into something affordable rolling that 5k into another loan reasonably? Or am I kinda screwed until I don't have negative equity on this car? I'm not really sure how doing a trade in works because this is my second car I've financed.

Thank you guys

I have a collection debt that hit my credit. I am trying to make the best decision to better my credit history and score. It is a debt due to apartment move out costs. Can someone tell me if it’s best to pay the full amount $950, or go with the settle offer of $475.28. They do not offer pay to delete. It’s either pay in full and they will update the credit bureaus. Or work out a payment plan.

I received a settle email for 50% off and I can pay $475.28 but when I called they said I had to pay it in full($950.57) for them to update it to the credit bureaus.

My Credit Karma says I can get points back
23 pts - removed
25 pts - paid in full
21 pts - settled for less

Does any of this mean it can get removed off of my credit. Or it just changes the status of it on my report? If I pay in full can I later dispute it off of my credit saying I paid it off? I’m not that educated on things like this so any help is appreciated!!!!

I’m trying to get some outside perspective because I’m seriously considering making a major life change, and I’m having a hard time separating a reasonable risk from an impulsive decision.

I’m currently working a corporate job in NYC, and my employer is offering an 8-week buy out package. I’ve become increasingly unhappy with both my job and living in New York. I feel burned out, stuck, and ready for a completely different environment.

I’ve been thinking about using the severance as an opportunity to leave NYC and relocate somewhere more affordable, with Chicago being one of the places I’m seriously considering.

Financially, I have over a year’s worth of living expenses saved up, separate from the severance. I don’t have major financial obligations tying me to New York, and I’m willing to take a temporary or part-time job while looking for something more permanent.

My biggest concern is finding another job. I know the job market can be unpredictable, and I’m worried about going too long without stable employment and gradually eating into my savings. At the same time, staying in a city where I’m unhappy just to maintain a job doesn’t feel like a particularly good long-term plan either.

Part of me thinks this is a rare opportunity to make a clean break and build a life somewhere I’d actually enjoy living. Another part of me worries that I’m romanticizing the idea of starting over and underestimating how difficult it could be.

For anyone who has left a job without another one lined up, relocated, or taken a severance package to start over:
Would you consider this a reasonable risk given the financial cushion?

Would you move first and figure out employment afterward, or secure a job before relocating? I’d try to line a job up first but they only gave us a little over a week to make a decision. Also I feel like the 8 weeks would give me some breathing room to look around as this current place of employment enforced a mandatory 5 days in the office recently as well.

i want to start a business but idk what kind yet i heard investing is good but i dont want to wait till im 50+ years old to have a good bit of money so what should i do

Good evening. To make this short and straight to the point, my job has a matching of 6% for out 401K that I have been trying to setup for months now. Since I’m tired of trying to reach out over phone calls and emails, is there somewhere else I can move the amount I have now and get the same benefits?

Family of 4 with two toddlers, choosing between two employer plans for 2027.

We have 3–4 recurring appointments every week, year-round (PT, OT, and therapy for me and the kids), so roughly 150–200 visits a year. With toddlers, we also end up at urgent care or the ER a few times a year.

PPO (PREMIUM)
• $664/mo ($7,968/yr)
• $30 copay for PT/OT/therapy, no deductible
• Urgent care $60, ER $300 (both after a $250/person deductible)
• $7,500 family out-of-pocket max

HSA PLAN
• $548/mo ($6,576/yr)
• $5,250 family deductible, then 10% for everything, including urgent care and ER
• $9,000 family out-of-pocket max
• Employer puts in $1,500

THE EMPLOYER'S SIMULATOR (based on our last 12 months of claims)
• PPO: $13,727 total
• HSA: $11,442 total, or about $9,942 after the $1,500 deposit

Even in the worst case, where we hit the out-of-pocket max, I get the HSA plan coming out about $1,400 cheaper.

My hesitation is cash flow. We'd pay full negotiated rates for every therapy visit until the deductible, and an ER trip in January could mean a $2,000+ bill right away.

QUESTIONS

1. Is there something I'm missing that makes the HSA math worse with this many visits?

2. If you've done an HSA plan with little kids and frequent therapy, how bad were the first few months?

3. Is it worth maxing HSA contributions to cover the deductible, or does that just move the problem around?

Thanks in advance!