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Dear Dave, I’m 30 and debt-free. Do you think I should stop making contributions to my pension fund for a year in order to save up an emergency fund? ­— Beth Dear Beth, Yes, I do. But it shouldn’t take you a year to set aside an emergency fund i...

Dear Dave, I’m retired, and currently I have about five per cent of my retirement savings in gold and silver I’ve been acquiring over the last few years. I’ve seen gold prices decline significantly, and I’m wondering if I should hang on to it as a sa...

Dear Dave, I have a student loan in default that is now being handled by a collections agency. They want me to pay the entire $20,000 now, or consolidate it with $16,000 in collection fees added. Are these my only options? — Rebecca Dear Rebecca, ...

Dear Dave, I follow you on Twitter, and I was wondering if you recommend buying an umbrella policy. If so, how much? Dean Dear Dean, If you’ve started to win with money and build some wealth, an umbrella policy is some of the cheapest insurance you ...

Dear Dave, How do I get my girlfriend to take a more active role in planning a family budget? We’re getting married in a few months, and everything between us is great except for this one area. She seems to want me to handle the money, and make all ...

For people without enough money to retire, one solution seems obvious: keep working. But life often gets in the way. Health issues make it impossible to work, or they lose a job and can’t find another. Here’s another factor that disrupts the best int...

Dear Dave, I have a friend who is experiencing financial problems. She is between real jobs at the moment and only bringing in about $600 a month. But even when she’s working regularly, she doesn’t budget or manage her money wisely, and she’s always ...

Dear Dave, I gave my wife $350 for Christmas shopping. While she was at the store with our six-year-old daughter, she cashed her bonus cheque to put with the Christmas money. When she tried to check out, the money was gone. My wife even asked our dau...

Dear Dave, Our daughter wasn’t very responsible with money until she read your books. Now, she has really started turning her life around. Recently, she learned she needs to have some expensive dental work done. Since she just started trying to mana...

Dear Dave, My wife and I are still paying off debt, so we didn’t budget anything for Christmas. How much do you think we should spend on close friends and family members? Dan Dear Dan, Not having a budget for Christmas probably isn’t a great idea if...