As we round the corner into another new season, I find myself at a loss for words. Or maybe clogged by an overabundance of them — it’s hard to know the difference, but the effect is the same: No words come out.
I’ve been writing about money for nearly a decade, and sometimes it can feel like there’s nothing new to say. But the conversation is far from over!
Healthy Rich makes space for diverse voices we don’t hear enough in personal finance media. Become a free or paid subscriber to support our work.
I’ve written a whole book about money, and I know there’s so much more to explore. Especially as we’re discovering a whole new approach to money together.
The more I write and research, the more questions I have. Instead of attempting to present as an expert all the time — because we know that’s not real — I’ll use those questions to guide my writing going forward. But I want you to have some input, too.
I’ve written a lot about money management, spending and consumption, but there are plenty of topics I haven’t explored deeply. Off the top of my head, I want to learn more about mortgages, taxes, bankruptcy and solo business finances.
I’ll continue to follow my questions and explore what I want to learn through content here — but what do you want to learn? I’d love to use your questions as a guide, too!
What are your burning money questions?
What are the sticking points in your relationship with money lately?
What keeps you up at night or wakes you in the early hours of the morning?
What is something you feel like you’re supposed to know but haven’t mastered yet?
Share your financial questions, curiosities and topics in the comments, or reply to this email to drop them in my suggestion box :)
And, please, share this with your friends! Everyone has something about money they’re just dying to know…
I have a thousand questions, some of which might have been answered someplace and some of which might be overly specific to my situation, but if any of them get your creative juices flowing then I'm happy with that!
1. Dealing with money avoidance (i.e. "I know I need to do smarter stuff with my money but I can't get myself to look at it so I don't even know if I'm living within my means")
2. Navigating combined finances as a modern couple that does not see ourselves as one entity simply because we're married
3. How many places should I put my money? As I go through life, I feel like I pick up bank accounts and retirement accounts and it makes it harder to track what I have. And there's so much advice about putting your emergency funds in a different account than your vacation fund and high yield this and CD that. What would an ideal account setup look like, in your opinion?
4. Incorporating small business income into your overall financial picture. I am a sole proprietor, service-based business and my income is variable month to month, which makes it very hard to get a sense of my financial picture.
5. How do you pragmatically deal with financial pessimism and despair? As a millennial (and just a person who lives in this world), it seems like the amount of money that would be needed to retire in 30 years is absurd and unreachable. And it goes without saying that I have college debt lol. Are we still saving what we can or saying fuck it? How do we do real planning when it seems like the current trends will be unsustainable?
Thank you for your work, I hope this lends itself to some ideas! Sorry if any of these have been asked and answered, I've been around here for a relatively short time and haven't gone through the entire catalog.
I'm obsessed with these questions, thank you! I haven't answered most of these well in any existing content. Your perspective is so helpful to help me shed my traditional personal finance media lens and tackle some of these topics I know others are dealing with, too.
Wow! LOVE Cody's questions and my husband and I are older and got married 6 years ago. He has 3 adult children (27-39) he still takes care of financially. I cringe and become angry when I think about the fact that the money he is spending on them should be going to our retirement. When I say "spending on them" I mean things like letting them live in his old house without paying rent or repairs, insurance or taxes. It's BIG! How can I approach this subject without sounding like the evil step mother? Should I just keep my mouth shut? My other question is about life insurance. He wants to leave them something in addition to giving them the house. He is good health but at 67 life insurance is expensive and we are looking into a plan that earns interest and is more liquid (A UVL vs. and IVL). Any thoughts on that?
Gail, I'm a "step mother" to an adult child, too, and I understand the fine line you have to walk!
Your first question sounds like a great fit for my Dear Penny column at The Penny Hoarder https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/dear-penny-columns/ Would you mind if I answer it over there (your question gets published anonymously)? I'd be sure to share here so you don't miss it!
I’d love a deep dive into the economics of owning a home. Owning a home is a high value in our US culture, but my financial planner is a big advocate of renting over buying. We’re selling our home of 10 years this month and talking about whether we want to own or rent in the coming years, pros and cons of each.
That's so interesting to hear your planner is for renting! I was a renter until I bought my first house at 37, so I love when people treat that choice as a serious financial option. I'd love to dive into this, too!
I have a thousand questions, some of which might have been answered someplace and some of which might be overly specific to my situation, but if any of them get your creative juices flowing then I'm happy with that!
1. Dealing with money avoidance (i.e. "I know I need to do smarter stuff with my money but I can't get myself to look at it so I don't even know if I'm living within my means")
2. Navigating combined finances as a modern couple that does not see ourselves as one entity simply because we're married
3. How many places should I put my money? As I go through life, I feel like I pick up bank accounts and retirement accounts and it makes it harder to track what I have. And there's so much advice about putting your emergency funds in a different account than your vacation fund and high yield this and CD that. What would an ideal account setup look like, in your opinion?
4. Incorporating small business income into your overall financial picture. I am a sole proprietor, service-based business and my income is variable month to month, which makes it very hard to get a sense of my financial picture.
5. How do you pragmatically deal with financial pessimism and despair? As a millennial (and just a person who lives in this world), it seems like the amount of money that would be needed to retire in 30 years is absurd and unreachable. And it goes without saying that I have college debt lol. Are we still saving what we can or saying fuck it? How do we do real planning when it seems like the current trends will be unsustainable?
Thank you for your work, I hope this lends itself to some ideas! Sorry if any of these have been asked and answered, I've been around here for a relatively short time and haven't gone through the entire catalog.
I'm obsessed with these questions, thank you! I haven't answered most of these well in any existing content. Your perspective is so helpful to help me shed my traditional personal finance media lens and tackle some of these topics I know others are dealing with, too.
Wow! LOVE Cody's questions and my husband and I are older and got married 6 years ago. He has 3 adult children (27-39) he still takes care of financially. I cringe and become angry when I think about the fact that the money he is spending on them should be going to our retirement. When I say "spending on them" I mean things like letting them live in his old house without paying rent or repairs, insurance or taxes. It's BIG! How can I approach this subject without sounding like the evil step mother? Should I just keep my mouth shut? My other question is about life insurance. He wants to leave them something in addition to giving them the house. He is good health but at 67 life insurance is expensive and we are looking into a plan that earns interest and is more liquid (A UVL vs. and IVL). Any thoughts on that?
Gail, I'm a "step mother" to an adult child, too, and I understand the fine line you have to walk!
Your first question sounds like a great fit for my Dear Penny column at The Penny Hoarder https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/dear-penny-columns/ Would you mind if I answer it over there (your question gets published anonymously)? I'd be sure to share here so you don't miss it!
No problem! I'd love to hear your thoughts.
I’d love a deep dive into the economics of owning a home. Owning a home is a high value in our US culture, but my financial planner is a big advocate of renting over buying. We’re selling our home of 10 years this month and talking about whether we want to own or rent in the coming years, pros and cons of each.
That's so interesting to hear your planner is for renting! I was a renter until I bought my first house at 37, so I love when people treat that choice as a serious financial option. I'd love to dive into this, too!