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Municipal pension plans are in a tough spot. They have trillions of dollars in unfunded liabilities, interest rates are low, and we’re coming up on the ninth consecutive year of stock market gains in the US. Municipalities are going to have a hard ti...

Dear Dave, I’ve been trying to save cash to buy a home, but things always seem to come up that eat away at my savings. I have $130,000 set aside, plus an emergency fund, and I make $120,000 a year. I’m debt-free and renting right now, but eventually ...

Dear Dave, Our son is about to graduate from law school. He took out a loan to cover the cost, but we’ve always been debt-free and have been paying on it to help him out while he finishes his studies. The balance on the loan right now is around $30,0...

Dear Dave, Do you have any tips for how single people can stay on track with their finances? — Deb Dear Deb, The first thing I’d suggest is the same advice I give to married couples, and that is to spend less than you make, and live on a written, mo...

A few years ago, I wrote: “The economy will one day improve, and the millennials will move out of their parents’ basements. When that happens, expect to see homeownership rates move back higher.” That day has arrived. Millennials are forming new hous...

Dear Dave, What are some ways to teach preteens the value of giving versus getting during the holiday season? PHIL Dear Phil, As a parent, one of the best things you can do is be a living, breathing example of the importance of giving and caring abou...

What’s driving the stock-market rally? How you answer that question determines if you are a bull or a bear. I have been thinking about this for some time. Regular readers know I am in the bull column, and have been for some time — but only up to a po...

Dear Dave, I have a rental property that I still owe some money on, and I’ve just begun Baby Step 2 of your plan. Should rental property debt be included in the debt snowball? — Matt Dear Matt, No, it shouldn’t. Baby Step 2 of my plan is where you u...

NEW YORK — Thursday marked the 30th anniversary of the 1987 stock-market crash, which happened to fall on a Monday. That day — Black Monday — still stands as the biggest percentage loss in the history of the Dow Jones Industrial average, with a 22.6 ...

Dear Dave, What’s the difference between a credit union and a bank? JAKE Dear Jake, A bank is owned by stockholders. When the bank makes a profit — and they should make a profit — the stockholders, who are owners of the company, get that profit. It c...