Credit Card Chargebacks

Credit Card Chargebacks

It’s rough out there shopping on the internet. Even if you hedge your bets and usually do all your shopping on a big site like Amazon, you’re bound to use smaller vendors around the gift-giving season. So what can you do to protect yourself? The first thing I would...
Winterizing Your Second Home

Winterizing Your Second Home

August is a magical month. Lawyers take time off like it’s a status symbol, the Pacific Northwest becomes a desert — and you start thinking about what you want to do next year.  If your plans revolve around a second home, they probably include some hurried trips to...
Money Apps for Teens

Money Apps for Teens

I hate to sound like a luddite, but I’m wondering if all of these easy-to-use financial apps are actually helpful in teaching our kids about money. How can a teen learn about the value of a dollar when it’s made of zeroes and ones? To be sure, this is not a new thing....
Is Temu for You?

Is Temu for You?

You may have heard about a new app topping the charts in the App Store. Temu, based out of China, is a combination fast fashion/plastic junk online retailer. The gimmick is free shipping and incredibly low prices — and the downside is vast and multifaceted. According...
The Stories Behind the Milestones

The Stories Behind the Milestones

We often remember big, flashy milestones, but what about the humble touchstones along the way? I’m talking about things that you may not have even noticed, but contain a poignant significance in hindsight.  For instance, do you remember when your kid realized why some...
Airline Hidden Costs

Airline Hidden Costs

In my last post, I touched on something that is becoming more common: hidden costs in addition to the price you were told. I gave the example of security services charging more to use Alexa or Google, and pointed to the classic example of Spirit airlines. But did I...