Cents + Purpose

She got a call from someone claiming to be Chase saying there was suspicious activity on her account, and everything about it looked real. The caller could send push notifications to her phone. They read off the suspicious charges and her recent transactions accurately. They walked her through what they were doing to block the fraud and delete any accounts created wit...

This year has been one of the worst of his life by almost any measure. He got cheated on, ended up in the ER after a dog bite with no insurance, and came out the other side with a $100,000 hospital bill. His car, which cost him $30,000, needs another $30,000 in repairs. He's 27, has two daughters, and recently had to move back in with his parents. The hospital has a d...

Her uncle was 75 and had been estranged from the family for years when his adult son died unexpectedly in 2022. She was the only person in the family who thought it mattered to call him and tell him his son was gone. Her mother's position at the time was that her uncle could rot in hell and she had no interest in reaching out, even under those circumstances.

She and her husband filed their taxes in March, owed just under $4,000, and paid it immediately through the IRS Direct Pay system. The money left their bank account within two days. They filed it away mentally and moved on, assuming the whole thing was settled.

Then in June a notice arrived from the IRS saying they still owed the full balance plus penalties ...

He and his roommate have lived together for about a year and it's been a decent arrangement overall, but about four months ago his roommate's girlfriend started coming over more frequently and the situation has been quietly shifting ever since. It started with a few nights a week, which didn't bother him at all. Then it became most nights. Then it became every day. Sh...