Law School Without Debt?
Ethan is about to start his senior year of college. Now he's considering law school. He won't have enough money to cover that, so what recommendation would Dave have for avoiding student loans?
 
You Cannot Out-Earn a Budget
Kristen and her husband are trying to decide if she can afford to stay home with their son. Dave is concerned about such a significant income drop and adjusting lifestyle.
 
Count Employer Contribution?
Brian on Twitter asks if employer contributions count toward the 15% Dave recommends putting toward retirement.
 
When Can We Start Living Like No One Else?
Angela asks Dave when she can start living like no one else.
 
Mad Money Budget
Alex and his wife are trying to determine how much mad money they should each have per week. Does Dave have a suggestion?
 
Cut the Health Insurance?
Shauna asks if it's ever okay to stop paying health insurance to pay down debt. Dave says no way.
 
How Do I Tactfully Decline an Out-of-Town Wedding?
Alicia asks how to tactfully tell someone she can't attend their out-of-town wedding.
 
Financial Decisions For College
Justin on Twitter asks what the best financial decision he can make is before he starts his first year of college.
 
Finishing Strong
Justin has a year left in college. He takes out $5,000 in student loans each semester. He can finish school without taking more loans if he cuts his lifestyle. He needs to know if Dave thinks that's a good idea.
 
How to Prioritize Family Debt
Jason asks how debt to family should be prioritized in the debt snowball. Dave explains.
 
Grieving With Dignity
Robin tells Dave her story of tragedy, preparation and love.
 
Return of Premium Is a Gimmick
Allen asks what Dave's opinion is on return-of-premium life insurance policies.
 
Can't Make the Minimums
Barbara wants to know how to use the debt snowball if her budget can't support all of her minimum payments.
 
A Rough Lesson
Steve's dad opened a credit card and made Steve an authorized user. His dad is delinquent on the card, and Steve is receiving collections notices about it. Does he owe this money?
 
Anxious Security Gland
Matt and his wife have about $63,000 in the bank, and they owe $47,000 on their house. Matt is considering paying off the house early, but he's concerned about Murphy moving in once he does.
 
When Do I Need Umbrella Insurance?
Matt wants to know at what net worth he should consider umbrella insurance. Dave explains.
 
Trial and Error
Ben and his wife want to know the best way to learn how to efficiently budget other than by trial and error. Dave tells him trial and error really is the best way.
 
Dave Doesn't Have a System
Ryan wants to know why he should invest in mutual funds given all the fees they incur. Dave explains why using a professional will statistically cause him to do better investing.
 
Retirement Delayed
Michelle and her husband owe $300,000 in student loans. She's worried about retirement since she's 37 years old. Should she start saving for retirement while paying off the debt?
 
Avoiding an Explosion
David is working with a senior in high school who just found out her dad is not planning to file taxes and hasn't done so for five or six years. She won't receive grant money if these taxes aren't filed.
 
The Ever-Changing Budget
A Twitter listener asks if a budget should change every month. Dave says yes.
 
How Much Does Moving Cost?
Montgomery is ready for a change of pace. He's thinking about moving cold turkey to another city. How much savings should he have in place for that?
 
Using Their Emergency Fund
Joshua and his wife sometimes have a busted budget because of home improvements. He wants to take money from the emergency fund, but she wants to take their fun money to make up the difference.
 
Save It For the Mortgage?
Dale is about to buy a $9,000 motorcycle. The dealer is offering a 0% financing deal. Does it make more sense to finance the motorcycle and pay the cash on the mortgage, which has a 3.875% interest rate?
 
What Are Essentials for 3–6 Months of Expenses?
Brian has $14,000 in savings. What are essentials for the 3–6 months of expenses?
 
Today's Necessities
Matthew asks Dave to define necessities on a budget in today's world. Dave says necessities haven't changed.
 
A Generation of Freedom
Sean tells Dave about how much Dave's common-sense approach to money has changed his life.
 
Ivy League Loans
Jeff asks if going to an Ivy League school is worth the extra debt. Dave has a simple answer for Jeff.
 
Changing Hats
Constance is single, and her brother has agreed to be her accountability partner. What are some rules people have with their accountability partners? Dave gives Constance his guidelines.
 
Playing Catch Up
Mike lost his job and fell eight months behind on his mortgage payment. He got another job and is trying to catch everything up. Now they are starting the foreclosure process. What should he do?
 
Chris Has Done It!
Thanks to some discipline, Chris doesn't feel poorer than his siblings anymore.
 
The Buying Decision
Ron isn't sure if he's better off buying or renting after his move.
 
Credit Card Churning
Dave explains what it means to churn your credit card balances, and why Ethan shouldn't bother with it.
 
Big Car Debt, Small Income
Christina's mom is overloaded with debt, especially relative to what she makes.
 
A Good Place to Be
Angie and her husband just paid off their home. Now they're looking at what their next steps should be. They do have $300,000 in savings and earn $3 million a year. Dave helps Angie formulate a plan.
 
Best Ways to Bargain
Jake asks Dave for some tips on bargaining. Dave tells Jake what he does.
 
Stop Being Normal Americans
Sherry and her husband are considering not paying their mortgage. In the long run, is it better to suffer now than to struggle and be in the same spot in five years?
 
Fighting Buyer's Remorse
John in Tucson and his wife were set to do a remodel on their home after becoming completely debt-free. Instead, they bought a house with a mortgage. Now he has buyer's remorse.
 
A Frank Discussion About Credit Cards
Patrick wants to know why Dave doesn't like it when people properly manage their credit cards and pay them off each month.
 
Parents With Too Much Power
Jason gave power of attorney to his parents over his finances. He returned to $20,000 in debt. He's getting married and wonders if he should declare bankruptcy.
 
How Multi-Level Works
Brent's business opportunity seems a little too much like a pyramid scheme. He wants Dave to help him sort it out.
 
Cost Of Opportunity
Travis wants to cash out a Roth IRA for a house down payment, but Dave thinks that will have a big-time opportunity cost.