‘I can’t sustain this pace’: I’m 61, single and have an MBA. I’m draining my savings after losing my job. What’s my next move?
‘I was let go from my six-figure job. I was unable to find a similar job, even with an MBA.’
![]()
The Moneyist
Providing answers to life's money questions
Do you have questions about inheritance, tipping, weddings, re-gifting, or any tricky money issues relating to family and friends? Send them to MarketWatch's Moneyist.
Most Popular
More from The Moneyist
‘I was outraged’: Our restaurant bill was $35 each, but our friend paid $22 for a gluten-free dish. Who’s right?
"I kicked my husband under the table, and said under my breath, 'Can you believe that?'"
I mailed a $280 Le Creuset pot as a wedding gift and never received a thank-you note. I fear it never arrived. Is it gauche to ask?
"I don't want to seem like I'm guilting them for not sending a thank-you note quickly enough."
‘When I ran it past the missus, she went ballistic’: I want to buy a $40,000 car, but my wife said no. Then things really got weird.
"After a decade-plus of driving the automotive equivalent of a plateful of boiled spinach, the new car has captured my imagination."
My husband and I are 64. We have $1.5 million in retirement accounts. He wants to travel. I’m more cautious. Who’s right?
"Both of us have longevity on our side: All four of our parents are in their late 80s or early 90s."
After our mother died, my sister went to nursing school. She asked me to cosign her $11,000 student loan. What do I tell her?
‘She still has undergraduate student-loan debt; I’m not sure how much. And I can’t help worrying about how soon she’ll find work after she graduates.’
Am I being tricked into overtipping when I eat out? Should I tip before or after sales tax is added?
‘As far as restaurants go, 15% is the starting point and I will go up from that as warranted,' one reader says.
My husband is still paying his ex-wife alimony after 25 years. Will it finally end when he dies?
"She was given half of his retirement funds when they divorced all those years ago. He’s now retired."
‘I like Warren Buffett’s approach — keep investing and just believe in America’: I’m about to retire. How do I invest a $400K windfall?
"The economy could slip into a prolonged recession, and cash doesn’t look to dumb to have, especially with a 5% return."
‘Index funds didn’t provide much income’: My brother is a combat veteran with PTSD. How do I invest his savings?
‘His monthly stipend is enough to live on, but just barely,' the letter writer says.
I live in my late father’s home. He left it to me and my two siblings, but my late brother’s wife wants me to sell it. Can she force me?
‘I have not responded to her attorney's letter.’
‘It was quite a shock’: Can I sue my sister for my father’s ashes? He died 7 months ago, but she never told me.
"I only found out last week that my father passed away seven months ago."
My mother’s will leaves everything to her 3 children. My brother died suddenly — and his wife says she will receive her late husband’s share
'Our spouses are not mentioned in her will and she was not a popular member of our family'
‘We were in a bad place’: My husband wrote a secret will. Should I do the same — and remove him as beneficiary on my life insurance?
‘My husband is the beneficiary on my life-insurance policy. I would now like to change that.’
‘I’m 62 and ready for my golden years’: I’ve $1.7 million in annuities, Roths and index funds. Can I afford to never work again?
‘Do I sell off some of my mutual fund shares to boost my savings?’
‘I’m living paycheck to paycheck and I feel drained’: My fiancé said he would pay half of the mortgage. Guess what happened next?
'What's the best way to communicate that we need to establish more healthy financial habits?'
My brother and sister insist I share our mother’s $440,000 estate with their 8 children, or they’ll cut off all contact. What should I do?
"I assumed we were splitting everything three ways."
‘It’s caused a lot of tension in our marriage’: My wife’s relatives are terrible guests. They never pay for anything. How do we get rid of them?
‘Their vacations should not cost us money.’
‘How to travel for free’: I spent $500 hosting my friend for a week. Should she have paid for food and utilities?
‘She binged on food, mainly junk food, and I had to foot the cost.’
‘We’re very upset!’ We gave a friend $400 concert tickets and $2,000 Rangers seats, but weren’t invited to his wedding. Do we speak up?
‘My theory is that the girlfriend isn't a big fan of mine. However, if she didn't like me, why did she agree to all these free things?’
‘It feels like a heavy burden’: My husband asked me to sell my $14,000 engagement ring to pay off our debt. Is he asking too much?
"My husband had a good job with a six-figure salary at a well-known software company, but he was let go in late 2022."
