Ask Money

Some advice to Susi, a 54-year-old professional in Connecticut, who is weighing retiring early to spend more time with her older, already retired fiancée.

Some helpful advice for first steps when your monthly income slows.

Personal finance columnist Liz Weston joins the show to answer credit questions from our listeners. When should you get a credit card? When is too early to sign up for a credit monitoring program? How do you rebuild credit after a bankruptcy?

Can you afford to say au revoir to your credit card?

A few items that still require cash to purchase.

And you thought talking about the pre-nup was awkward... try bringing up a credit score on a date.

What kind of loans should you take out for graduate school? Find out when student loan expert Heather Jarvis joins host Carmen Wong Ulrich to answer callers' questions.

Millions of Americans have had credit card and debit card information stolen by hackers at big retailers like Target and Neiman Marcus. Marketplace Money host Carmen Wong Ulrich talks to consumer advocate Bob Sullivan about what we can do to keep our money safe.

We inherited my mother's home when she passed away two years ago. The home is located in a ski resort. We tried short-term rentals with the home, but it has not worked out like we thought. We live in another state and have quite a bit of debt: 420k mortgage, car loan, and 20k of credit card debt largely due to auto repairs and medical issues. We are current on all payments, but I am considering selling the inherited home, which could fetch 500-600k. I would use the money to pay off all of our debt. I am wondering if this is a rash or foolish idea. The allure of being debt free is so appealing right now. Your thoughts? Thanks!