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Matt Carey studied Arabic at the University of Pennsylvania, preparing for what he hoped would be a career at the Central Intelligence Agency. Eleven years later, he’s pitching annuity contracts. He’s actually happy about that. A summer job at the St...

Historical data show that stocks tend to post strong performances during periods of rising interest rates but only below-average results when inflation is rising or above average. This counterintuitive dynamic was explained by Warren Buffett in 1977 ...

Dear Dave, I received a call the other day from a company saying it could negotiate the balance on my credit cards to a lesser amount. The caller also said they could get me a zero-per cent interest rate until the debts were paid off, and then the ac...

Dear Dave, My wife and I have $72,000 in debt from student loans and a car loan. We’re trying to pay off our debt using the debt snowball system, and we each make about $45,000 a year. She’s a teacher, and she’s planning on going back to school for h...

Buying a home can be lots of fun. It’s exciting to see all those years of dreaming come to life in a place you can finally call your own. With so many possibilities at your fingertips, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement before asking yourse...

Dear Dave, My wife and I have $72,000 in debt from student loans and a car loan. We’re trying to pay off our debt using the debt snowball system, and we each make about $45,000 a year. She’s a teacher, and she’s planning on going back to school for h...

Dear Dave, Is it okay to buy something using a rent-to-own plan? JOSH Dear Josh, I advise against rent-to-own deals. Rent-to-own places get people in the door with promises of low monthly or weekly payments. But when it comes to rent-to-own furniture...

With so much advice out there about saving money, being encouraged to spend could sound a little weird. But that’s what some financial services firms are telling retirees to do — to make a resolution to use more of those dollars they’ve been socking ...

Dear Dave, What is your opinion of businesses that no longer accept cash? HEATH Dear Heath, Honestly, I think the whole scenario is kind of silly. Businesses that are suddenly into the “no cash” thing lose out on a lot of transactions. Believe it or ...

Dear Dave, I have cousins who are looking to rent for a while, and I have an unoccupied rental house. Do you think renting to family is a bad idea? — Katherine Dear Katherine, Renting to family can work out just fine, as long as there are clearly un...