Gen Z is enrolling in 401(k) plans at rates their parents never came close to. But they are also borrowing from those same accounts more often than any cohort before them. That contradiction is…
A North Carolina listener recently called into the Clark Howard podcast to ask about backdoor IRAs, a legal strategy that allows high-income earners to bypass income limits on Roth IRA contributions. On the April…
It was a peak career moment. Googler Adam Coelho stood in front of Google CEO Sundar Pichai and other execs, leading a two-hour mindfulness workshop. A week later, a new boss said he wasn’t…
Owning rental property can be a great income stream, but getting started isn’t easy. The Retire SMART Podcast recently offered tips for first-time landlords. Step 1: Buy the starter home like it is your…
Many people say they can’t wait to retire. Yet when the time comes, many can’t take the plunge. “Most people think when I say, ‘Hey, you’re in a position to retire,’ that people just…
Traditionally, married couples have combined finances into one shared budget. But times are changing and there can be many good reasons for committed partners to maintain some separate accounts. On a recent episode of…
The unemployment rate sits at around 4.3%, technically inside the band the Federal Reserve calls a healthy labor market. Yet anyone helping a teenager pick a college major right now feels a distinct shift…
Financial infidelity used to mean a hidden credit card or a secret checking account. Now AI is involved. On a recent episode of the Financial Audit YouTube show, host Caleb Hammer sat across from…
A 62-year-old federal retiree wrote into The Retirement and IRA Show with a question many retirees ask: Should I accelerate Roth IRA conversions when the market drops? She retired in June. Her husband died…
A daily Starbucks run and a couple of weekly DoorDash orders are two of the easiest line items to silently drain a household budget. Americans are still spending heavily on prepared food: food services…
Is 18 credits cards too many? What about 30? A California listener named Perry called into The Clark Howard Podcast recently to ask about credit card churning. “I have maybe 18 credit cards, most…
The American dream of graduating from college and landing a great job isn’t the reality in 2026. Recent college graduates have a higher unemployment rate than the national average (5.7% vs. 4.3%). Far worse…
Margaret recently phoned into The Clark Howard Podcast, wondering what to do with the Health Savings Account (HSA) left behind at a former employer. The plan has high fees and few investment options. “Move…
Shelby is a blended-family mom with three kids of her own and a fiancé with his own child. She’s a homeowner, and someone who climbed back from a bankruptcy after her first husband passed…
How much of a nest egg should be held aside for potential long-term care, separate from retirement spending money? That was the question from Heather of South Carolina on a recent episode of The…
A mother of two called into The Ramsey Show with a dilemma. She and her husband had finished the show’s suggested Baby Steps for financial freedom three years earlier. They owed only $160,000 on…
A 23-year-old with $25,000 in federal student loans has grown his brokerage account to $25,000. Should we pay off his debt at a 4.5% rate? Or should he continue with his stock market investments?…
Financial problems and mental health are often linked. Chelsea, a 30-year-old single woman, said two years of an aggressive debt payoff had left her socially isolated. She called into the Ramsey Show recently, questioning…
The American dream of home ownership seems out of reach for many young couples. In an age of record-high property prices and low inventory, people need to readjust their expectations, said George Kamel on…
Caitlin, 27, from Shreveport, La., called The Ramsey Show recently with a story that starts with identity theft and ends with a question many people ask: How do I fix my credit score? “Whenever…
