Dear Dave, I have a full-time job, but I also have a side job providing firewood to help pay off debt. I make $600 to $1,000 a month with this project. My log splitter went down recently when a hydraulic line burst, and the machine caught on fire. I’m... Read more

Dear Dave, My in-laws have very generously offered my wife and I $250,000 to help with a down payment on a home. I know the amount exceeds the IRS’s yearly gift allowance, but they want to structure it as a family loan and have already told us they don’t... Read more

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The Business and Economic Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University, in partnership with the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, or TACIR, has released a new version of “Tracking Tennessee’s Economy,” an interactive dashboard and website allowing the general public to visualize economic and labor market trends.  On the site, www.mtsu.edu/tacir, economic... Read more

We’re halfway through 2020, and I’m willing to bet by now those goals you set in January have gone out the window. This year has brought a lot of chaos and unexpected hurdles we could have never planned for. Life always does that, doesn’t it? A few years ago, I was... Read more

Dear Dave, What exactly is the debt snowball, and why is it such an important part of your plan? -Lee Dear Lee, The debt snowball is Baby Step 2 of my plan for getting out of debt and gaining control of your finances. Specifically, it’s the part of the... Read more

By Chris Hogan Even as the economy slowly cracks the door open and tiptoes back to pre-coronavirus activity, many of you are feeling the aftershocks of our national shutdown. And since only 40% of Americans can cover a $1,000 emergency with cash, people are robbing their retirement accounts—and their... Read more

Dear Dave, I just received a formal job offer in law enforcement. I’m debt-free, single, and I’d like to move out of a roommate situation and into my own apartment. I’ll be starting out at $34,000 a year, then moving up to $38,000 after my probationary period. You have... Read more

By Anthony ONeal Okay, I get it. The last thing your teen probably wants to think about this summer is saving money for college. But let’s be real. There’s no better time. They’re free from their normal responsibilities with classes and homework. And, after spending a ton of time... Read more

Dear Dave, Last year I got a divorce. I’m 32, a teacher and a single mom. I’m on Baby Step 2 right now, and I was wondering about life insurance. My son is only two, and if something happened to me, he would go to his father. His dad... Read more

Dear Dave, We’d like to start preparing for the future, but our debt is preventing us from investing for retirement. Would it be okay to use a home equity line of credit to start investing? We were thinking the eventual returns might justify doing this. -Nick Dear Nick, No!... Read more