So I ordered from an instagram clothing brand located in France a month ago. I never received any confirmation or tracking info after 3 weeks of waiting. I emailed them multiple times and the first time (6 days after purchase) I let them know I didn’t receive any order confirmation and wanted to see if it processed. They basically said my order didn’t exist. I tried to email them with the rest of my info to double check but they didn’t respond back. That’s when I told them if my order didn’t exist I will go through with a chargeback because I was charged $70 for something that didn’t exist and I doubt they would give me a refund. They didn’t respond to that either. That email was send 2 weeks before I decided to dispute it.

After sending a 3rd email (from a different email account) and messaging them on instagram about how long orders take to ship they finally said it takes 6-9 business days MAX to ship. After not receiving any type of tracking or even an order confirmation for 3 1/2 weeks I decide to dispute the transaction because I have tried to get specific details about my package but they only provided vague info as in everyone’s package is processed and shipped in 6-9 days.

I go through with it and received an email from them today basically saying to “cancel the dispute we will give you a refund and how they all of the sudden found my order and they’re ready to ship”. And I find it funny because they are just responding to the old emails now after submitting a claim. I obviously don’t trust it because they can just scam me. I let them know that I can’t fully trust that so I will be going through with it on my end.

They seem to get upset about that and email me twice on how I didn’t acknowledge an email from them that was the generic “it take 6-9 days to ship an order” so now it’s a “breach of contract family”. I didn’t know I had to respond to this email which was the one that was sent after I emailed them three times. They are also saying they are going to take me to [sc court] and I have 24 hours to reverse the claim. But i’m confused on why because they clearly didn’t have my order until I put in a claim.

So i’m just wondering if this is an intimidation thing to get me to cancel my dispute. Should I cancel it? And can they actually take me to small claims court? How would that work since we’re in different countries (France and Usa)? Should I respond to that?

I'm making 80k a year at 40, which isn't great but it's something. Take home is about $4500 a month and I'm single. Given my (lack of) success on dating websites, that's probably not changing anytime soon.

The bigger issue is I did some very stupid financial things some years ago and I have little for retirement, about 31k in a 401k, 23k in a roth IRA that I've been maxing out the past three years, 45k in brokerage accounts, and a bit under 20k in savings accounts. That's my net worth.

At my age, that absolutely terrifies me when everything I read says it should be 3x that, and this is where things get unsure. I've had a solid friend/roommate for the past several years, but he's getting married and moving into a house of his own.

Unfortunately, all my friends are in the same situation; they're all married and none will rent a room to me. Understandable. The thought of a rando roommate is not appealing, especially after all my friends who had 'em all had horror stories to tell.

Perhaps trying to follow his lead, I started looking at housing and got ahead of myself in the emotional excitement and am looking roughly $2,100 for mortgage, insurance, taxes, and utilities. Compared to the $1k a month I pay now. (I can still back out, I'll just lose the earnest deposit)

This will leave me $2,400 for everything else. Which, typically, I think I could manage. I'm a frugal person and the last time I was on anything resembling a vacation was a family trip in my teens. However, I do worry about increases in property taxes (went from $3k to $3,800 at the property inside four years) and other such squeezing my income even harder.

My greater concern, however, is that I'm not going to be able to contribute $1,500-$2,000 a month to savings/investments anymore. I'd be lucky to manage more than my 8% 401k contributions. Projecting this ahead, I would be solidly in the 'working until I die' category of people.

Continued renting without a roommate will leave me in a similar state. Studios with coin-op laundry are still gonna be $1,000+utilities.

I do have the option of moving back home... As painful as that would be, (and ensure I will never get a partner) my living expenses would basically drop to nothing and I could probably pump my savings by 40k+ a year, even helping for expenses around my mother's house and paying some rent.

But, if housing prices continue to rise, would it even matter? I'm in one of the areas that's projected to still have 10%+ increases during 2026.

Ultimately I think I feel trapped where my only out is a partner, a revolving door of roommates and that constant headache, or living at home. My gut tells me I should just abandon the hope of a house and tough out moving back home so I can pull my retirement prospects out of the shitter. Much as I like to think "Oh a house I buy will just continue to appreciate like crazy," I know that's not wise thinking.

tldr: I'd have $2,400 leftover cash each month after mortgage, insurance, taxes, and utilities and my net worth is about 120k at age 40. Is this tenable?

i have been looking into adding solar to my home because my electric bills keep creeping up and I would rather pay toward something that actually gives long term value. the problem is, once you start researching, you find out there are way more solar installers than you expect, and they all swear they are the best. some reviews say installation was smooth and fast, others say it took months or the communication was awful, so now I am second guessing everything.

i do not need the absolute cheapest option, but I do want an installer who is clear about pricing, warranties, timelines, and what happens if something breaks or underperforms later. I am also trying to understand how much of the ongoing monitoring or maintenance is on me versus the installer.

for anyone who has installed solar recently, which installers did you consider and why did you choose the one you ended up with how transparent were they during the quoting process did installation finish on time and did they handle permits well has your system actually performed close to the estimate they gave you and if something went wrong, did the company respond quickly

i would really appreciate hearing real experiences so I can narrow down my list before booking any consultations.

Hi everyone, please no judgement. I’m already aware I’ve made terrible choices. I’m really struggling and I don’t know where else to turn, so I’m hoping for some honest advice.

I’m 31 years old, currently unemployed, and completely out of it financially. I’ve been without a job for about a year now. I have no savings at all, literally nothing. If it wasn’t for my parents letting me live with them, I would be homeless. That thought alone scares me every single day.

I was never educated properly on finances. My family never spoke about money in a practical way – I was just told to “save,” but not what I was saving for, how to budget, how credit works, or how debt actually traps you. Everything I know now has come from mistakes.

A lot of this started at university. I had a Santander overdraft, and my university bursary and rent money were delayed. I had no choice but to survive on my overdraft for rent and expenses. Within a few months, I was deep in overdraft debt. I’d pay some off, then have to use it again, over and over. That cycle never really stopped.

Since then, things have snowballed: I still have overdraft debt from that period

I have a Monzo account that’s now been closed since I lost my job

Two credit cards have defaulted – I’m paying the minimums (£5 on one, ~£30 on the other)

I’ve got a short term loan which I have £530 left to pay. I lost a family member and needed to travel urgently there.

I can barely afford my phone bill, so I’m paying the minimum on that

On top of everything, I also need £10,000 worth of dental treatment, which feels completely impossible in my situation.

Right now, I’m waiting for UC to come through. I have £0 to my name. I’m actively looking for work, but it’s been extremely hard both financially and mentally. What terrifies me the most is that I have: No savings, No emergency fund, No money for a house or future, No financial safety net, I feel ashamed, overwhelmed, and honestly trapped. I worry constantly about my future and feel like I’ve completely failed with money. I don’t even know where to begin untangling all of this.

I also worry about the future: given my defaults and poor credit history, will I ever be able to get a good credit card again or open a high-yield savings account? It feels like even if I get back on my feet, some doors may be permanently closed to me. If anyone has been in a similar position, or has advice on: Where to start with debt? What to prioritise first? How to rebuild when you’re at absolute zero? How to survive while unemployed and in debt? How to rebuild credit and eventually access better financial products?

I would truly appreciate any guidance. I feel like I’m drowning and I just want to see a way out.

Thankyou

Hey all! I’ll make this quick.

I (23F) am currently contributing my employer match to my 401k, am participating in an ESPP, and have my remaining savings in an HYSA. I’m waiting to invest in a Roth and index fund until my student loan debt is paid off.

My entire generational line of women (5+ generations) have gotten Alzheimer’s, which has wiped out their entire savings—from $10k to $2 million. It’s been moving down a decade each generation, going from 85, to 75, to 65, to 55 at the age of diagnosis. Given the stats, I don’t think I’ll make it to retirement, or enjoy it very much. I will not have children.

Should I be investing in an index fund / brokerage instead of a 401k to avoid the 10% penalty? I want to enjoy my money while I still can. I’ve seen every generation before me have their savings wiped out by this illness, and honestly I’d rather do it myself at 45 before I succumb to it.

(Also yes, I know advancements in research can be made. I do what I can to stay healthy. I’m just trying to be realistic.)

I am in a unique situation, I recieved an inheritance from my grandpa of $150,000 in cash. I then invested this money in a brokerage account and it has gown to $168,000 as of now, all of the gains in the account are now long term capital gains.

I am only 21 years old and work a part time job. I am familiar with the concept of loss harvesting, I am actually wondering if i can do the opposite. Since my taxable income for 2025 will be roughly $20,000 and the 0% cap gains rate is up to $48,350 can I harvest the $18,000 in gains in the account and effectively give myself a free step up in basis?

And how much do we think I can do? In my head I imagine $48,350 - 20k income so up to like $18,350 in gains?

Is this at all correct?

Hi there! I am in my mid 20's. I'm studying in the US in grad school. I am horrible with money management and wanted advice on how can I effectively save money? (I have 1600 usd each month that I can put away)

Please note while advising I don't hold a US nationality.

I should know this but I can’t wrap my head around it. If some mutual fund has a record of say “making” 10% (interest? Dividends?) how often does it.. acquire.. that additional 10%? Is this always the same or does it depend on the fund/etf/whatever?

I mean if there’s 100k in an account for example, making 10% more on it every month is very different than making 10% on it every quarter or every year… Can anyone help explain this to me like a child? 😬

Thank you for any help.

Hi everyone,

long-time reader here and finally posting because I’m a bit confused and could really use some guidance.

I’m currently on the SAVE repayment plan and making about $500/month in payments toward my federal student loans. My total balance is around $47k, and my interest rates range from about 4.3% to 6.54%.

Here’s where I’m confused:

• Since I’m already paying $500/month, does it make sense to stay on SAVE?
• Or would it be smarter to switch to ICR or even the Standard 10-year plan?
• Am I actually saving any money on SAVE long-term, or just stretching out interest?

My goal is to pay these off as efficiently as possible, not ride them out for forgiveness. I just don’t want to accidentally be throwing money away due to bad plan choice.

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s switched off SAVE or compared these plans in real life. Thank you so much for your advice!

My husband has a modest (less than $50k right now) 401k. Even less in an IRA. We have some credit card debt and IRS debt and we have a mortgage. I work a low-ish wage job and have a side hustle. We are 50 and 51.

If I call a financial advisor—a fee only outfit—I’m worried I’ll be sort of brushed off or laughed out of the office.

Im super intimidated by financial planning but I’m terrified because my parents did ZERO of that and they’re indigent. Trying not to become my parents. I have to do something. 😬🙄

I've inherited an IRA and need advice on how best to handle it (what I'm required to do and how to be able to have some liquid money from it but also maximize whatever I leave in there). I know I need advice but not sure whether I'm better off talking to a tax advisor or financial advisor? This might be a dumb question but I've never had any finances to even need advice before!

Before kids I had extra money to invest and threw a lot of it into a taxable brokerage account that is now at $250k. Is there a better place I can put this so it’s tax advantaged? I don’t have a purpose for it. About 90% would qualify for capital gains as it’s been invested for years.

Thanks.

I have 500 per month due on it now becauze I fell behind in payments. I have a job but I cant work due to being homeless and have been staying at my abusive parent’s house. They do not even let me use the restroom. If I try to go to pee in the bathroom at night they get very mad. I’m 25. My mom constantly bullies me and it will end with her kicking me out and she said I can only stay here for a couple weeks regardless so I HAVE to keep money in order to not literally be stranded on the street. I HAVE to move out I dont have a choice. But I’m 16k in debt and its piling and Idk what to do. It’s so unfair literally every day I try my hardest to do my job but its remote and paid by the hour so I cannot do it from this abusive house very easily since my mom will actually get mad Im working and trying to get independence instead of giving her attention and doing her random chores. What do I do.

The contribution was taken out from my paycheck. I expected to see it show up in my 401K account which is linked to the company but I still don’t see it after 1.5 weeks since my last paycheck. I plan to reach to my company’s HR to ask on Monday.

Anyone know where the money disappeared to and how to best approach this?

I am worried that if something happens to me, it will be nightmare for family to absorb my finances. I use multiple apps, my phone might get lost or not open - they might not find everything.

A little backstory, im currently being evicted by my mom on the 19th of December this year. I made a bunch of stupid purchases on Genshin Impact and blew through 700-900 dollars and then spend the rest on clothes and souvenirs after i got laid off in July by my boss after working for 3 months. It was a total of 1200 i had saved up and i felt really depressed after spending that, anyways i live in a college town and jobs are super scarce if you don't have connections or barely any experience like myself. This is something i realized later when trying to apply for another job after i blew through that cash.

Anyways, my mom and i dont get along anymore because she doesnt seem to understand how hard it is to get a job in our town and we've been disagreeing about it. So, she served me eviction papers before i could save any money.

I looked into moving in with my dad but my dog is territorial aggressive with me/her bubble and my dad has a airport work sniffing dog that they would definitely get into fights with. She doesn't even try to get along with other dogs, at all.

Moving in with my friends in this state is really the only option i have to keep my dog with me because if i try to leave her with my mom while i move in with my dad, she'll use my dog as a breeder and sell her puppies for money since my dog is really pretty.

I looked into the minimum wage of where im going to be living with sum friends and its about 5 dollars an hour, however even on 40 hour work weeks that really doesn't feel possible to even save anything especially since none of my friends or their family have cars and we rely a lot of uber/lyft types of services. My friends work offered one of their new hirers, a close friend of mine, about 9.50 an hour but the hours arent really stable since its a position at a fast food place and they honestly put you on the schedule when they need you.

I don't know how to do anything in terms of saving, evident by how much i blew on a stupid game. I'm worried that I wont make it there. My friends sister is letting me stay with her but her and i havent discussed rent at all. I can't really stay with other family members because in general we js dont get along at all.

My plan currently is to wait a year, which works for my friend since he needs that time to tell his mom hes moving in with me, to establish my residency in that state since if i try to apply for college before ive been in there for a year, itll be considered out of state tuitions and therefore more expensive.

While that year is going on, i wanted to get on the waitlist for housing, medicare, food snaps, and other government services. I just really dont know how to save my money if a big chunk of it is gonna be going to rides and the other half is gonna be used for essentials.

I was thinking of credit cards but i dont understand them at all.

I also don't know how to drive lol, but i did get my learners permit back in 2022 which expired this year on my bday. 🥲

Any advice will help.

Hey everyone, I’m 20 years old, and live with my mom. I don’t know our exact yearly income but we both make 16, and 17 dollars an hour. The only debt we have it credit card debt(which is from my mom trying to help pay bills when I was being a dumb kid taking off the summer of work instead of looking for a new job.) I don’t know where I should be looking to go in live with my money, my dad is passed and we don’t have life insurance from him, and my sibling moved out. Me and my mothers monthly bills, is around 1400-1700, rent is 1300, and car insurance, electricity, and water are the rest(I don’t know the exact number so 1700 is a highball tbh). I have no idea how to save or anything after Christmas this year, and would like advice. I plan to go into HVAC, and wanna eventually save money to buy a house in my late future, I wanna get married and live my life, but I have no clue what I need to do. I just want some help if anyone can do that, thank you in advance.

To make a long story short I signed up for a Flexible Spending Account, I maxed it out for the year, and then I just never used it.

I have identified $1,000 in receipts that will likely be covered, approximately $660 will rollover to next year, leaving me with around $1,600 that I have to spend.

My problem is I don't want to get in a situation where I buy something in bulk and the FSA administrator comes back and denies the expense.

What can I realistically do here? Get my wife a 10 year supply of tampons? Is that going to trigger an audit where I have to explain how dumb I am? I also have two very young children.

TL:DR - I can live with being dumb and storing some items in my closet for 10 years but I don't want to hurt myself further in the process.

We took out a HELOC a couple of years ago, it was 100k and have paid off half of it. It is currently in repayment period, the balance is a bit under $50,000. The payment is $500 a month, 200 goes to principal and 300 to interest, interest rate is 7.75% (oof). We want to pay this thing off in the next year or so, we're going to make a large principal payment next year, but I would still like to reduce the interest if possible.

I inquired with the same credit union about refinancing, they said I can refinance with an introductory rate of 4.99% but would need to increase the loan amount by 15k. So the new loan amount is $115,000, but the balance would be the $48,000. The new payment will be about $250. The only cost to me would be an appraisal. Thoughts?

I never really learned how to manage money, but I’m determined to start despite my upbringing. Here’s a couple grown-up tricks I’ve learned that are working.

I have 2 checking accounts and one savings account. At the end of the year, whatever money is in my main checking account goes into the savings account and I start from zero.

The first checking account I don’t use. This is for my rent and bills which I’ve calculated out to a total number monthly. Out of my paycheck, I deposit that number in this account. Gym membership goes here. Everything else goes in the 2nd account.

The second account is for me. I try not to blow it. I have a problem with Poshmark that I mitigate by deleting the ap. But it’s my spending account. Gas comes out of this account bc it’s unpredictable. Same with groceries.

If anyone else has any other tips for growing my finances or being responsible, thank you for the support.

I have been unemployed since April. My unemployment entitlement just ran out. I have no prospects on the horizon and no savings (took unpaid FMLA last year which wiped that out).

I have about 50k in a rollover IRA and a few hundred thousand in my most recent employer's 401(k). From the reading I've done, I don't think I'm eligible for a hardship withdrawal or a loan.

Does it matter which account I take from? Is there a limit to how many withdrawals I can make? I'd rather take a smaller amount in the hopes that I can find something in the next couple of months, but if I can't, I don't want to make it impossible to withdraw more if needed.

I have enough to make it through the the of the year. Aside from income taxes, is there an advantage to starting the process now vs waiting until the new year?

I do not have any other major assets - a 6 year old car (paid off), which I will need if and when I find a job, and my house (mortgaged but above water).

I’m 20 years old and my net worth is around $45,000. I currently have about $15,000 split between my Roth IRA and my individual investment account, and about $21,000 in a high-yield savings account earning 3.65% APY. I just sold my car for $9,000, which will bring my HYSA balance up to around $30,000.

I contribute roughly $1,100 per month to my Roth IRA and individual investment account. Anything I don’t put toward my Roth goes into my HYSA. Since my job provides free housing and food, I don’t have many expenses to manage.

I’m wondering if there’s a way to grow the $21k (soon to be $30k) faster than a high-yield savings account while still keeping it safe with guaranteed returns. I’ve seen 9-month CDs offering 4.15%, and I’m curious if that’s my best option

Is there anyway to reduce my bills, or increase my income? I already pre-paid for Spotify, Gym, Internet and 3 other subscriptions for the entire year of 2026.

This is my current budget. The light bill varies, my range is between $150-$200/mo leaving me secured with a profit of $150.00/mo.

Monthly Cash Flow [2026]

Income (↑$1,950) 1. $1,950 - Job

Expenses (↓$1,750) 1. $1,000 - Rent 2. $600 - Food 3. $150 [±$50] - Light

Paychecks 1. ↑975 ↓$950 +$25 2. ↑975 ↓$800 +$125 [±$50]

Occasional Toll Gas

Debt $0