Split Decisions

Divorce isn’t just emotionally devastating—it’s also often a financial catastrophe. For parents who are trying to save for their child’s college education, likely the largest single expense their kids will ever incur, it’s important to keep saving after the separation.

In this story for SavingForCollege.com, I ask experts how parents can mitigate the financial effects of divorce on their child’s 529.

Read the full story here.

I Feel You

Journalists were brought up on the 5 W’s and the H: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. They’re the questions that every news story is supposed to answer. But too often, there’s a component that’s missing from the equation: What did it feel like? For quirky profile stories, it often seems like that all-important question goes missing.

Until now, that is.

In this story for Minnesota Monthly, I talked to more than a dozen people about what it feels like to do the sorts of things that most of us will never try—whether it’s winning a lutefisk eating contest, finding the Winter Carnival Medallion, or leaping into a frozen lake in the middle of January. Their answers are surprising, riveting, and more often than not, insightful.

Read the full story here.

The Only Way Is Up

One of the perks of my job is that I get to talk to inspiring people on an almost-daily basis. A case in point is the subject of this story I did for Experience Life magazine.

Don was a talented athlete growing up, but got stuck in a sedentary job and developed unhealthy eating habits. When he tipped the scales at 330 pounds, he finally decided he had to change. What he did next was remarkable.

Read the full story of how he changed his life for the better here.

Subsidized Education

We all know how great it is when someone picks up the tab for something, whether it’s your pal who picks up the lunch bill or your company that pays for your gym membership.

But what if you could get others to pay for something far more important—your child’s college education? In this story, which I did for SavingForCollege.com, I examine all the different ways you can get other people to contribute funds to your child’s 529 account. It’s not as hard as you think, and if you’re savvy, the end result could be hundreds, if not thousands, of additional dollars to help pay for college.

Read the full story here.

Two Is Better Than One?

A River Runs Through It

Peter Rothstein is one of Minnesota’s most respected directors. He’s tackled projects at the Guthrie and Children’s Theatre, and local publications have honored him countless times as one of the state’s top creative minds.

But his latest challenge was something he’d never encountered in his directing life: he staged a production on water. On the Mississippi’s Centennial Showboat, to be more specific. For 10 weeks this summer, he’ll helm “The Triumph of Love,” a show created and performed almost entirely by University of Minnesota students. And while the site offered plenty of challenges, it also provided some remarkable opportunities.

To read more about his work and current production, check out the Minnesota magazine story here.

For Advance Planners

Plenty of people do their best work at the last minute. Unfortunately, you can’t apply that trait to saving money. Those who start stashing away their money early will always have an advantage over those who start later.

For 529 college savings plans, “starting early”  usually means when your baby is born. But for some super-achievers, saving for college starts even earlier. In this story, which I did for SavingForCollege.com, you can find out how you can help your child go to college—even before he or she is born.

Read the full story here.

It’s Not You, It’s Them

Credit card companies expect their products to turn a profit—and if they don’t, they’ll ditch them with lightning speed. Take Chase and Starbucks. A few years ago, the two companies partnered to create the Starbucks Duetto Card, but when profits weren’t what the companies hoped for, they yanked the card in March, leaving card users in the lurch. In addition to this high-profile case, hundreds of other affiliated cards—think those that are offered by your university or by some nonprofit organizations—have also been retired.

What should you do if you find that your card is no longer worth the plastic it’s printed on? Read my story in CreditCards.com here.

Credit Behind The Scenes

If you’ve seen commercials or heard radio ads for companies that offer to dig you out of debt fast and repair your credit even faster, you’re smart to be wary of their big promises. I’ve been doing financial journalism for years, and although I knew that most of these outfits were fishy, I wasn’t sure how they worked.

But then I worked on a package of stories about bad credit for Bankrate.com, and I found out some clever ways that scammers unethically—and illegally—manipulate your credit. You can read about their shady (but ingenious) tactics here.

On The Ball

Back in high school, I got a gig with my local newspaper writing up short summaries of all varsity sports performances in a given week. I got paid next to nothing for the work, but I enjoyed talking with the athletes and the coaches, and I’d occasionally have a chance to shoehorn in the names of high school pals who played on those teams.

I don’t have the chance to write about sports much anymore, so when an editor from Minnesota Monthly called to ask if I was interested in writing a story about Lindsay Whalen, I couldn’t resist. Whalen was a basketball star for the University of Minnesota a few years back, and she’s gone on to make a name for herself in the WNBA.

Whalen has an irresistible story, and she’s one of the most delightful people I’ve had a chance to interview.

Read the full story here.