Should you pay off your home before starting an emergency fund? & What is a wife in debt supposed to do when her husband won't help?

Q.  My wife and I make $100,000 a year combined, and we have about $12,000 in credit card debt. We also owe another $80,000 in student loans, and our kids’ private school education costs $1,000 a month. Is it okay for me to take a loan against my 401(k), which is invested in mutual funds, to clean up the credit card bills?

Q.  Our daughter is a special needs child, who doctors say will live about half as long as the average adult. There’s also a good chance she will be under our care her entire life. We just finished Baby Step 3 of your plan, so we have all of our debt paid off except for the house, and we have an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses saved. We have health insurance, too. However, we were wondering how the situation with our little girl affects retirement planning and college funding?

Q. My husband and I have seven kids. What parts of your program work best for large families?

Teen money management and aging parents

Q. I know when it comes to investing you like mutual funds and paid-for real estate.  What do you think about using condominiums as investment properties instead of single-family homes?

You’re downright stumped. After months on the market, you’re no closer to a home deal than the day you planted a For Sale sign in the yard. Buyers come. Buyers go. And still no bite. It’s easy to chalk it up to the weather. But we’re here to let you in on a little secret: That may not be the case.

Money is a source of conflict in nearly a third of all relationships, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association.
When it comes to budgeting, two can quickly turn into a crowd. That’s because some of us like to save our nickels, while others would prefer to spend every last dime. And it’s hard to get the other person to change their mind. (Okay, so you might be a little stubborn too.)

Q. Our son just turned 8 years old. Is it time to start giving him an allowance?

A. There’s never a time for an allowance, no matter the child’s age. In my mind, that kind of thinking is the best way to plant the seeds of entitlement. You want your son growing up with the idea that he’s owed money simply because he’s alive.

Q. How do you have a wedding without debt?

A. Wow, where do I start on this one? I guess the best way is to tell the truth.