My father passed away several years ago. My parent’s home has long been paid for and my mother probably has roughly $120,000 in liquid assets (bank accounts, CDs and a retirement account). My sister and I are the only children, and our names are on the deed as second life…
Tag: commentary
I want to blow the whistle on my former employer’s ‘shady practices,’ but I signed an NDA. Can I break it?
I didn’t realize what I was signing at the time, as those documents were buried among a bunch of other paperwork. I left the company because they lied to me about bonuses and how the pay was structured, as well as about their code of ethics. It turns out I’m…
‘I didn’t see how this could happen’: My brother drained $200K from my mother’s savings
I read and hear so much about adult siblings who always got along, but suddenly start fighting among themselves when they are about to inherit their parents’ estate. I didn’t see how this could happen to my family — until now. We’re not at that point, but things are getting…
I don’t want to leave my financially irresponsible daughter my house. Is that unreasonable?
I am at my wit’s end and hope someone can recommend ways to help my daughter’s unwillingness to manage her money. When I am gone her chances are slim to none. I am a senior citizen and I’ve had cancer four times in the last three years, so I don’t…
‘COVID isn’t done with us’: So why have so many people started rolling the dice?
Hersh Shefrin, a mild-mannered behavioral economist at Santa Clara University, still wears a mask when he goes out in public. In fact, he wears two masks: an N95 medical-grade mask, and another surgical mask on top. “I’m in a vulnerable group. I still believe in masking,” Shefrin, 75, told MarketWatch.…
‘Is my husband the cheapest man in America?’ We only eat out on our anniversary, and I don’t even have an engagement ring.
My husband never goes out, and he only reluctantly takes holidays — except if we stay in a cabin in the mountains, and even then he doesn’t see why we should be paying for our mortgage and paying to rent somewhere else too. He has never bought me a single…
‘She needs the money for care’: My 103-year-old grandmother’s adviser bought 5 bank stocks. She lost $300,000. Can I sue?
I am the trustee/executor for my 103-year-old grandmother. She is alive and mostly doing fine. Lately, she has been allowing me access to her finances so there are no surprises when she dies. I just reviewed her investment-account statements and found that her adviser bought hundreds of thousands of dollars’…
My sister squandered our parents’ millions, asked me to give her $10,000, then made me a tempting offer. Should I take it?
This story may remind you of a fairy tale — a cautionary one. My financial-whiz parents earned $4 million in 1970s dollars, and retired early. They hoped we three children would go into their business. My older brother and sister did, but I chose college and graduate school, paying for…
The stock market’s breakout is getting some major new support — for now
The stock market, as measured by the S&P 500 Index SPX, +0.11%, has been trying to break out above 4200 for some time, and it finally managed to do so last Friday. That breakout has held this week, so it is confirmed (so far). The problem is that there hasn’t…
Why does my credit score keep changing? And 5 other questions to ask right now about your credit score.
April is National Financial Literacy Month. To mark the occasion, MarketWatch will publish a series of “Financial Fitness” articles to help readers improve their fiscal health, and offer advice on how to save, invest and spend their money wisely. Read more here. Some things are a mystery. For millions of Americans,…