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Dear Dave, When is the right time to buy a house when someone is following your Baby Steps plan? — Samuel Dear Samuel, That’s a good question. Let’s start by going over the first few Baby Steps. Baby Step 1 is saving $1,000 for a beginner emergenc...

Dear Dave, I just graduated from college, and I’ll be starting my first real job soon. What can young adults, who are just getting started, do to avoid money problems now and in the future? BEN Dear Ben, Congratulations. I’m glad you realise the impo...

Dear Dave, I work long hours, and I make pretty good money. The problem is the money from my paycheques always seems to disappear before the end of the month. I know part of the problem is grabbing quick meals between extra shifts, and eating out a l...

Dear Dave, My husband has an old car that has become a real sticking point between us. He bought it for $2,400, and it needs about $4,000 in repairs and restoration. Together, we bring home $50,000 a year, and I feel like this car is interfering with...

Dear Dave, I’m 28, single, and I just became debt-free. In addition, I make $70,000 a year and have the equivalent of six months of expenses set aside for emergencies. Should I save up to pay cash for a house, or is mortgage debt okay? I’d like to ke...

If you’re the parent of a child already attending or about to enter college, you probably have a lot on your mind. That’s understandable. College is an exciting time of life, full of big choices and exciting opportunities. But let’s face it, it’s als...

Dear Dave, My parents have always been bad with money, and recently they lost their home to foreclosure. They found another place to live, and they both work, but since the foreclosure my dad has been asking me for money on a regular basis. He tries ...

Dear Dave, When is it okay to have a little fun, and buy things you want, when you’re following the Baby Steps plan? — Kaitlin Dear Kaitlin, The time for a little fun is after you’ve completed the first three Baby Steps. Baby Step 1 is saving $1,000...

The $140 billion drop in the value of General Electric’s stock price during the past year gets the full human interest treatment in the Wall Street Journal. I don’t want to minimise the deep individual suffering of those who had their retirement savi...

Dear Dave, My husband and I are just starting Baby Step one of your plan. Prior to this, we told my two nephews we would buy them laptop computers for college. They don’t get a lot of encouragement or support from their immediate family, so we try to...