Dave Says
Dear Dave, I recently started following your plan, and I’ve looked into refinancing the home I bought five years ago to free up more money to put toward paying off debt. My interest rate is 3.625 percent, along with a private mortgage insurance payment of $200 per month. This makes my mortgage payment $2,700 a […]
Dave says – Finance Colum
Dear Dave, I’ve started following your plan, and I’ve got a beginner emergency fund of $1,000 saved. Now that I’m ready to start paying off debt in Baby Step 2, do you recommend paying off credit card balances before or after closing the accounts? Maeve Dear Maeve, I’m really proud of you. Congratulations on starting […]
Dave says
Querido Dave: Mi esposo y yo finalmente tenemos nuestro fondo de emergencia completo. Como recomienda, lo hemos mantenido en una cuenta de mercado monetario con privilegios de una cuenta de cheques para facilitar el acceso. Recientemente, escuchamos sobre los fondos de bonos a corto plazo con una tasa de interés más alta que nuestra cuenta […]
Dave says
Gano aproximadamente $240,000 al año y voy a estar maximizando mis contribuciones 401(k) este año. Tengo $60,000 en deuda de préstamos estudiantiles que estoy tratando de pagar, una pequeña cantidad restante de la hipoteca de mi casa, además de que he estado invirtiendo en mucho oro y plata. Esas inversiones valen alrededor de $30,000 en […]
Dave says 06.14.18
My father died recently. He walked out of my life 25 years ago when I was a teenager, and he never wanted anything to do with me after that. His brothers, who have already paid for some of his final expenses, asked if I wanted to pay to have his body cremated. They didn’t ask […]
Dave says
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 realize the importance of being responsible with your money and planning for things […]
Dave says
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 for a beginner emergency fund. Baby Step 2 is paying […]
(Why not short-term disability?)
Dear Dave, Why don’t you recommend having short-term disability insurance while doing the first three Baby Steps of your plan? It seems like a good time for it, when you’re in the beginning stages of getting your finances in order. Bob Dear Bob, You could certainly do that if you want, possibly even through your […]
Dave says
Dear Dave, How do you sell a vehicle with a lien amount that’s higher than the actual value of the car? Michael Dear Michael, First, you need to find a way to cover the difference between the amount of the lien and what you can get for the car. Let’s say the car is worth […]
Dave says
Dear Dave, I’m about to graduate from college, and while I’ve been in school my mom has been handling most of my finances. Recently, I discovered she’s been taking my student loan money and spending it on herself. So far, it looks like she’s taken around $12,000, and I have a total of $25,000 in […]