About 22 million more people are having nightmares about money problems this year than last year, and about 13 million more people are scared about their kids’ financial future. A survey also found that 39 percent of people aren't celebrating Halloween this year due to covid-19 and 85 percent plan to spend less this year than last year. Read more →

The U.S. Department of Justice, along with 11 states, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Google for unlawfully maintaining a monopoly in search services and search advertising in violation of the U.S. antitrust laws. Read more →

It’s week 18 of covid-19 restrictions for many of us. I dawned on me the second week in March that I should be staying home. I had been walking in the mall during the winter, but I thought heading there wouldn’t be wise. I’d ride my stationary bicycle for exercise instead until the weather warmed up. Read more →

The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced a significant, partial repeal of a 2017 rule Tuesday that would have protected borrowers from falling into cycles of debt by limiting companies from lending money to those unable to repay payday or auto title loans. Read more →

A big change has occurred in my life. My niece, the Lovely Linda Lee, passed away Feb. 17, 2020. Linda worked as a bank auditor, day trader, and real estate agent. She was really smart and got her master’s degree in economics from the University of Washington. Read more →

America is in turmoil. Millions of Americans are pouring out into the streets to protest the death of George Floyd, a black man who was murdered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when a police office pressed his knee on his neck until he died. All this in the middle of the covid-19 pandemic.  I'm stressed. I don't know what's going to happen next. Police reform? I hope so. Millions more getting the coronavirus and thousands more dying? I hope not.  I've decided what I'm going to do in these challenging times is make a large contribution on an organization that works to improve my community, including working on homeless issues. Read more →

Things are going well for me as I stay home under Washington state’s stay home order. I’m willing to do it for a long time more. I don’t think it’s worth it to get my hair cut or eat in a restaurant and get the coronavirus. It’s so upsetting that protesters are risking the lives of others by coming out to state capitals, crowding together, and in some states, even carrying guns. My yard is beautiful this time of year. I have 40 rhododendrons in many colors of pink plus red, yellow, orangey, and purple. I’m making a bouquet a day because the beautiful blossoms will soon be gone. Since my main interest in my yard is growing vegetables, I rely on all the rhododendrons, and about a dozen azaleas, planted by previous owners. Read more →

Mother’s Day was different this year. Instead of celebrating with my daughter and her family in Spain like I often do, I was at home in the Seattle area following Washington state’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order. I enjoyed a video call with my daughters and pizza and chocolate cake. I got the idea for the pizza and cake from my birthday request made earlier in May. It was so good, I repeated it for Mother’s Day. While staying home gets tiring at times, it’s giving me a lot of time to work on my book “Follow the Money: My Life as a Financial Journalist.” Read more →

Today is my birthday. It’s so different to be home alone celebrating. I usually go to Madrid to spend the month of May with my daughter, who also has a birthday in May. Then, of course, in May, there’s also American Mother’s Day and Spanish Mother’s Day to celebrate. That makes many occasions to drink cava, Spain’s amazing sparkling wine. It’s aged in underground caves for a year in a second fermentation. I talked with my daughters today over WhatsApp, then enjoyed pizza and chocolate cake with my cava. Spring 2020 is so different – no travel, no family events, no movies or theater performances, no eating out, no face-to-face classes, no crowds, and no long lines. Read more →

In the past, I’ve written dozens of articles on how to celebrate Mother’s Day. However, this year is so different. Instead of being in Madrid celebrating with my daughter and her family, I’m at home by myself, picking up groceries once a week as my only outing. Fortunately, except for the people who have to work, you can still order things for Mother’s Day gifts. And, in some states, restaurants are opening. However, in Washington state where I live, we are still under Stay Home, Stay Healthy orders. I think it’s too early to go out to a restaurant, so I’m not putting that on my list. Read more →