Dear Dr. Per Cap: Our first child is due soon and we went shopping the other day. Cribs, strollers, and diaper bags aren’t cheap. Any tips so our baby doesn’t break the bank? Signed, Expecting Parents Dear Expecting Parents Congratulations!! Here’s to lots of health, wealth, and happiness. Now let’s get to business. Yeah, baby […]
Dear Dr. Per Cap: I know you say cryptocurrencies are high risk but I keep hearing about regular people who’ve made a fortune trading them. What’s my biggest risk if I buy some now? Signed, Struggling to Resist Dear Struggling to Resist Ok, cryptocurrency mania has completely gone off the rails – worse than Indiana […]
Dear Dr. Per Cap: I keep hearing that rising inflation is hurting the economy. What exactly does that mean? Signed, Worried Budget Dear Worried Budget The simplest and best way I know to describe inflation is how much more you have to pay this year than last year to achieve the same level of well-being. […]
Dear Dr. Per Cap: We’re opening our food booth this summer now that pow wows and events are back. I think we save money on supplies shopping at Costco but my wife says we spend too much on gas driving two hours each way and going out to eat. Is Costco worth it? Signed, Hamburger […]
Dear Dr. Per Cap: Why are used car prices higher than brand new vehicles? Is now a good time to trade in for an upgrade? Signed, Tahoe Dude Dear Tahoe Dude Not so fast. Yes, some used vehicles are fetching more as trade-ins than their brand new counterparts but not all. We’re in the midst […]
Dear Dr. Per Cap: I made some mistakes a while back that appear on my credit report as collection accounts. Since then I’ve been careful managing credit but my low FICO score makes it hard to borrow. How can I prove to lenders I’m better than my credit score? Signed, FICO Failure Dear FICO Don’t […]
Dear Dr. Per Cap: How can I convince my dad he needs to save for retirement? He just spends and spends while saying “live in the now”. Signed, Worried About Daddy Dear Worried You’re an awesome daughter to show concern for your dad’s financial future. The percentage of folks not saving enough for retirement is […]
Dear Dr. Per Cap: How do I know if I’m eligible to receive the new Covid-19 monthly relief payments that were just announced? Signed, Arizona Mom Dear Arizona Mom It’s official. Starting in July the IRS will begin making monthly payments to families that qualify for a recently expanded child tax credit. This Covid-19 related […]
Dear Dr. Per Cap: My cousin has a habit of not paying back loans, but just asked to borrow more money. How can I help without getting burned? Signed, Twice Burned Dear Twice Burned I’ve learned over the years that money lent to friends and family has a bad track record of not getting paid […]
Dear Dr. Per Cap: Why does my IIM account pay so much higher interest than my bank account? Isn’t it basically the same thing? Signed, Loves Coffee Dear Loves Coffees An IIM or Individual Indian Money account is a very unique financial product that differs from a bank account in several key ways. For starters […]
