Starting an emergency fund is often highlighted as a crucial aspect of personal finance, but we don’t talk as much about when you should tap into that money.

For example, if someone faces an unexpected car repair bill, should they dip into their emergency fund or explore other financial avenues? It’s a dilemma that many individuals grapple ...Read more

CHICAGO -- At the sprawling South Shore Cultural Center, the early-morning sun casts a golden glow on the stables nestled just beyond the gated entrance. On this 20-degree Thursday, the waves of nearby Lake Michigan are frozen into tiny peaks, and 2 inches of snow covers the ground.

At about 7 a.m., Sgt. Rishi Desai, an 18-year veteran of the ...Read more

When I was visiting my parents for Thanksgiving last year, I thought it would be fun, both as a dating coach and as their daughter, to interview them about how they met and how their relationship progressed. This month marks their 45th wedding anniversary, so I would like to give tribute to them in this article.

The main two questions I wanted ...Read more

Q. I have two sons, 5 and 7. I do not allow my children more than a half hour a day on their iPad. My partner uses screen time as a way to appease his son, who is turning 8. Recently my bonus son lost his temper and yelled at me in front of my sons. I took away his iPad believing if I did nothing it might set a precedent. My partner came home ...Read more

Nearly one-third of American adults (30%) who looked for financial advice in 2023 turned to social media, according to Bankrate’s Financial Security Survey. Younger Americans are even more likely than the average to seek out financial advice from social media, potentially setting them off in the wrong direction during their crucial early ...Read more

Dear Kid Whisperer,

My question has to do with family plans. If our 9-year-old doesn’t want to do what the family is doing (going to visit grandparents, going out to eat, etc.) he complains and argues, or asks for constant explanations for any plans that are not exactly what he wants to do. My wife feels that he needs to have input on our ...Read more

I can’t call heads or tails on whether we should stop minting the penny. There are two sides to every coin, right?

Zinc and copper used to make a penny are worth almost four times the value of the coin. Bottom line: The penny is not cost-efficient. I empathize. Some days I’m not terribly cost-efficient either.

It’s hard to imagine life ...Read more

When it comes to becoming a millionaire, your mindset is an important factor, maybe the key factor, in getting you there. Yes, earning a higher income can help you build your net worth — let’s not pretend a high income isn’t important — but poor financial habits can destroy any amount of income. However, even modest earners with the ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I need advice about a sexual situation I can't discuss with anyone else. My wife and I have been together for nine years (married for four) with a good relationship and great sex life. We've always explored fantasies through dirty talk during intimacy. I've always found the idea of seeing my wife with another man arousing. Early in ...Read more

I like to think I’m a tough cookie, but my sweet tooth, which may have a cavity, can’t resist the treats sold every year by the Girl Scouts.

That’s why I have bought two boxes of cookies from my 8-year-old granddaughter, who represents the third generation of Girl Scouts in our family.

They include my wife, Sue, and our two daughters, ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- Society was shutting down.

It was March 2020, the earliest days of the pandemic in Minnesota, and major sporting events were canceled or took place without an audience.

Colleges across the state and country closed campuses, directing students to study online.

The National Guard blocked off an entire New York suburb. Elderly ...Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Today, little is known about Samuel Howard, a 71-year-old Jewish man who died in 1959 and was buried at Las Vegas’ Woodlawn Cemetery.

Other than his birthday and his date of death, not much at all is known about Howard, but that didn’t stop members of the Las Vegas Valley’s Jewish community from honoring Howard, with 53 other...Read more

Here’s what we’re not going to fall for, those of us who are taking the nation’s temperature right now and sensing an infection setting in.

It’s an infection born of intolerance and greed. And if left unchecked and untreated, it could wipe out what’s healthy and functioning and, in so many ways, still growing.

The symptoms look like ...Read more

On Monday night, Cherry Hill, New Jersey’s township council voted for hardy tomatoes and fresh flowers.

This requires some explanation.

The council unanimously implemented an awkwardly worded yet potentially powerful law known as the Agriculture-Horticulture Commercial (AHC) Overlay Zone.

It formally grants the township’s only working ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I've been broken up with my ex for almost four months now. I did everything the experts recommend — blocked him on social media, deleted his number and even asked mutual friends not to mention him. I was doing well until I realized I could still see his Spotify playlists even though I blocked him. Now I find myself checking them ...Read more

As spring approaches at jet speed and you start thinking about planting mixed containers (but perhaps with a little fear of the partnerships) keep in mind three-part harmony. It certainly works in church music, and it is perfect for gardeners too!

In the world of garden color, we call it triadic harmony. Simply put, triadic harmony is three ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- With shoulder-length blond hair, black dress and black knee-high boots, Jennifer Rose cuts a preacherly silhouette — less Bible-thumping, more New Age — standing on a small stage in the retirement community of Laguna Woods Village.

"There's a lot of spirit here already," she says. Her audience grows quiet. "So I hope you're ...Read more

You may have heard of the “burnt toast theory.” If you haven’t yet (or need a quick refresher), the idea is this: If you burned your toast while making breakfast, you need to spend another five or 10 minutes making a new piece. That extra time might be annoying and cause you to run late, but it may actually be saving you from something ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- She knew she had to go even though she couldn’t imagine moving somewhere else.

Maria Merritt has lived in El Sereno the better part of 30 years. Her little home on Poplar Boulevard served as the beacon in a turbulent life that led her to solid ground. She raised her four kids there, had a well-paid job and a spell of normal ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. -- None of Andrew Boisen’s initial options for commuting from his home in Tarpon Springs to Pinellas Technical College looked pretty.

Boisen has a disability that prevents him from driving a car. He could hop on the county’s fixed-route bus system — but the ride would require 30 minutes of walking and a bus transfer, lasting ...Read more