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Dear Dave, My mom is 71 and debt-free. She’s investing $600 a month in a universal life insurance policy worth $250,000 because she wants to leave something behind when she dies. What could she invest this money in, other than the life insurance poli...

Dear Dave, I have job offers from two tech companies. One is in San Antonio and pays $55,000 a year, while the other is in Silicon Valley making $100,000 a year. My friends are advising me to move to California, but I feel like I’d have more money i...

Dear Dave: My husband has a great job, and I love my work and schedule as a substitute teacher. However, he wants me to take a full-time position so we can build more wealth. The only debt we have is our house, and we’ve already saved and invested a...

Part three — The Final Recommendations for a Parent Left alone — the Moneywise Family Plan Part one on June 14, 2014 and June 21, 2014 can be found on The Royal Gazette website under the links at the bottom of this article. Our composite client, a...

Dear Dave, You recommend that no more than 25 percent of your monthly income go toward a house payment. Does this figure include taxes and insurance too? — Ryan Dear Ryan, Yes, it does. Your housing payment should not exceed 25 percent of your month...

This week, Moneywise continues a new monthly series on financial planning and investing advice. We want to make managing finances much more applicable to personal circumstances by using real stories from real people. The first financial planning stor...

Dear Dave, What things do you advise buying used versus buying brand new? Amy Dear Amy, I’m afraid there’s not one good, across the board answer, because it all depends on where you are in your financial plan. When it comes to cars, you should alway...

Dear Dave, Would it be okay to go on a tenth anniversary honeymoon while we’re working on our debt snowball? Karen Dear Karen, I don’t think so. I mean, it’s not against the law or anything like that. I just don’t think it’s a good idea. I wouldn’...

Dear Dave, My husband died several years ago. He always worked very hard, and we did very well financially. I am now 48 and have $3.8 million in assets. I’ve found a wonderful man who is very stable and loving with a good job, and we’re considering ...

Dear Dave, My wife and I are debt-free except for our house, and she would like for us to go ahead and start a family. I make good money, but I’d still like to wait a little longer and add some extra to our emergency fund before taking that step. Who...