Family

OUR FIRST GRANDCHILD recently arrived, which naturally has us thinking about the smartest ways to build a strong financial foundation for her future. In 2019, I wrote Take a Break, which outlined saving strategies on behalf of children. Since then, the landscape has changed with the introduction of Trump accounts and Roth-conversion pathways for 529 accounts. 
Families have four tax-advantaged savings approaches on behalf of young children plus the Roth IRA option once the child has earned income – 529 education savings account,

RECENTLY I TOOK a free ride on a driverless bus trialling its proposed route, part of my local administration’s ten-year rollout plan for self-driving public transport and taxis. I see real potential in this technology, and I’m hoping the infrastructure and implementation stay on schedule. That hope is mostly selfish, I’ll admit.
In fifteen years I’ll be in my mid-seventies, and I’d love to ditch my car and rely on cheap, dependable robo-taxis instead.

In January 1948, welcomed by family wearing sunglasses, my dad and grandma arrived at the Santa Fe train station in Pasadena, California.
Several months earlier, just before my dad graduated high school, his father died unexpectedly following surgery. Grandpa was hurt moving a large beam at their home, an old farmhouse fixer-upper on the outskirts of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The family moved to that home during the Great Depression when finances forced them out of their home in the city.

My hope is this resonate with some of you and you will tell your own story. It’s probably more of an article, but my hope is it creates good conversation and your wisdom as well.
The life we built, the family we raised, and the future we prepared for were not handed to us. They were built—day by day, dollar by dollar, choice by choice.
Most people will never have the exact same story.

In many personal finance circles, the conversation around aging inevitably turns to the “child as a safety net” strategy. We often assume the natural progression of life involves moving closer to our offspring, or perhaps moving them into our homes, so they can help navigate us through our final chapters.
But as I look around my age-restricted community, I see a much more diverse—and arguably more resilient—set of arrangements. While some neighbors do live with their adult children,

This is the first piece I have ever written for HumbleDollar, because frankly I don’t have much financial nous to preach – particularly to a congregation that I assume to be, on average, better off than I.
I’m here with a question, not a pearl of wisdom, and I’m asking out of genuine curiosity.
Both my net worth and my retirement savings are around the 80th percentile for Americans. That’s way higher than I ever expected to be,

When I’m turning a tricky problem over in my mind, my normal port of call is my wife Suzie…she’s much more sensible than me. But I have an issue I can’t ask her thoughts on. The reason is simple — it’s a secret that she knows nothing about. So I thought I’d canvass opinions from the Humble Dollar community.
Right now I’m thinking of offering four separate loans to extended family members, and the backstory is straightforward.

I want to thank all forum members who commented on my last post about helping my adult son and his new wife.  Last night, my wife and I applied all of the lessons to have “the talk” with my son, his wife and my daughter over an impromptu family dinner at our house.  Just a quick background for context and then back to the conversation.  My daughter lives in Maryland, some 3.5-4.0 hours away.  My son also lives south of us about 2.5 hours away.  

Hi HD community.  I am a longtime reader and first time writer so please be kind with your feedback.  The topic on my mind today is helping my adult children financially.  I have read previous articles on the topic, but do not recall any addressing this specific angle.  I am interested to hear your thoughts on helping adult children who, by virtue of their financial discipline and decision-making, are in very different financial situations.  Simply put,

I saw a post on Bogleheads regarding a question on grandchildren accounts.. I haven’t set up an account there to post so here is a method we used when children were very young.
We started and gifted to gift-to-minor accounts.  Coordinate with the parents first so you don’t complicate financial aid packages for continued education.  Once the children had taxable wages we gifted to Roth accounts in their names.
We stuck with a balanced 100% equity,

I have recently paid attention to calls for help by retirees seeking ways to support a needy child who is, for medical or mental reason, unable to manage to live independently without ongoing financial support. I resonate with such worry, which mirrors mine.

Naturally, I keep a warm heart for all my extended family members despite occasional differential preferences for some over others. My children, nieces and nephews follow the current US economy into a K-shaped future: some with up-sloping prospects,

An interesting article in the New York Times – These Young Adults Make Good Money. But Life, They Say, Is Unaffordable. January 3, 2026 – explores the unaffordable of life as perceived by young adults. This paragraph caught my attention.
“Is it worth sacrificing a yearly vacation to save for a down payment, when housing prices keep rising? What about buying a home that is 90 minutes from work — or a two-bedroom for a family of four?

Between Thanksgiving and the New Year, I mourned the passing of five people in my life. All were born in the 1920s or ’30s—a generation that navigated world wars and technological revolutions, from the birth of air travel to the digital age. While they shared a history, each taught me a valuable lesson about how they enjoyed and suffered life in their own unique ways.
I recently came across an interview with 94-year-old author Judith Viorst on her tips for the “Final Fifth”

I was talking to a friend this morning before pickleball. He’s a retired teacher who stays in touch with former students, and right now he’s trying to raise some money for one of them who’s in a tough spot.
Here’s what happened: The guy is in his mid-thirties with two small children. A few weeks ago, he lost his job but, thankfully, found new work within a week.
Then the timing fell apart. His old employer was supposed to pay his final wages last Friday,

I wrote this article for HD four years ago. It was one of my favorites. It came to mind as we were setting up our Christmas tree this year.
EVERY YEAR AROUND this time, I think about one of the most memorable events in my life.
As a child, I was fascinated by trains. My father was a railway tower signal man during the Second World War and later a station master. My first toy trains were plastic and battery operated,