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    Home Unlabelled Personal Finance What to do if you've been kicked out of your family home as a teenager: a PF guide

    Personal Finance What to do if you've been kicked out of your family home as a teenager: a PF guide

    April 24, 2019

    Personal Finance What to do if you've been kicked out of your family home as a teenager: a PF guide

    What to do if you've been kicked out of your family home as a teenager: a PF guide

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 07:05 AM PDT

    Unfortunately, posts on this topic are not a rare occurrence here. Teenagers are often kicked out of their home without support, sufficient money, or time to prepare in advance, but there are some resources and options for teenagers in this situation.

    This guide also includes some information for teenagers who are at risk of being kicked out.

    First, please seek help

    If you need help, there are confidential and nonjudgmental services with trained helpers that you can call or contact online. Sometimes these services get busy. If you can't reach someone right away, please try again until you reach someone.

    In the case of a life-threatening emergency, please call the police or the emergency telephone number for your country (e.g., 911 in the United States).

    In addition to the below resources, consider talking to an adult that you trust. There are many options such as:

    • A teacher, sports coach, or staff member at your school
    • A school guidance counselor, school nurse, or doctor
    • A relative that you trust
    • A friend's parent or guardian
    • A religious leader
    • A neighbor

    United States

    • Contact the National Runaway Safeline. They provide a valuable resource for runaway, homeless, and at-risk youth. The service is free, confidential, and available 24/7.

      CALL 1-800-RUNAWAY

      CLICK 1800RUNAWAY.org

      TEXT 66008

    • You can also text "HOME" to 741741 in the US to communicate with a Crisis Text Line volunteer anytime, about any type of crisis. Every texter is connected with a Crisis Responder, a person trained to bring texters from a hot moment to a cool calm through active listening and collaborative problem-solving.

    • In most of the US, you can also call 211. They will help connect you with resources.

    United Kingdom

    Canada

    • Contact the Kids Help Phone.

      CALL 1-800-668-6868

    • You can also text "HOME" to 686868 in Canada to communicate with a Crisis Text Line volunteer anytime, about any type of crisis. Every texter is connected with a Crisis Responder, a person trained to bring texters from a hot moment to a cool calm through active listening and collaborative problem-solving.

    • In most of Canada, you can also call 211. They will help connect you with resources.

    Australia

    Resources for other countries

    Country Organization Phone Number
    Belgium (Dutch) Awel 102
    Ireland ISPCC 1-800-666-666
    Italy Telefono Azzurro Rosa Casi urgenti e SMS adolescenti: 337 427363
    Netherlands Kindertelefoon 0800-0432
    New Zealand Youthline 0800 376-633
    South Africa Childline 08000 55555
    Other Countries Child Helpline International Find a Child Helpline

    Some housing options to consider

    Read through all of these before you settle on which options to try first. If it starts to be too overwhelming or you need help, please reach out to one or more of the resources listed above for advice and support.

    1. If your home living situation was not abusive and there is an option to make up with your parent(s) or caregiver, please consider it (even if it means a curfew, chores and hard work, or following rules you don't like). You can use this time to save up more money, find work, finish high school, and generally prepare for living on your own.

      If things are uncomfortable at home and you're allowed to simply spend more time elsewhere, that's often a good option to reduce tension at home. Some ideas: get a cheap gym membership, do your studying at the library, get a part-time job, join an after-school group, or volunteer.

      If you have fundamental disagreements with your family or caregivers and this would be a possible reason for you to be kicked out, it's probably best to delay announcing these until you're on your own and doing well independently. Maybe they are not great people. Maybe you don't believe in the same things. As long as you are safe, it can wait until you are in a better position to be independent. As they say, the best revenge is living a good life.

    2. It's generally illegal for your parent(s) or guardian to actually kick you out. If your home living situation was not abusive, one option to consider is contacting the police to get back into your home.

      • If you're an underage child (under 18 in most of the United States) and not legally emancipated, it's almost always illegal for parent(s) or a guardian to kick you out.
      • Even if you're an adult or legally emancipated, but living at home, it's generally illegal to kick you out without following the relevant laws including sufficient notice. The specifics depend on the circumstances and your location (you may consider posting to /r/legaladvice as well).

      Contacting the police may be unpleasant and you will need to listen to the police officer, but your parent(s) or guardian will also need to listen and allow you back into their home. You shouldn't be carrying anything illegal (drugs, alcohol if you're underage, or illegal weapons) in general regardless, but absolutely do not have any of those items on you if you contact the police.

    3. If you have any relatives that you can reach that would let you stay with them for any period of time, this is one of the best available options if you've been kicked out. Aunt or uncle lives in the next state? Call them and find a way to get there. Any non-abusive relative that you know is probably a better option than heading to a shelter. Grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, step-siblings, you name it.

    4. Failing that, your next best bet is to contact friends, crash on a couch, and ask anyone you know that might put up with you. Try to consider any workable and safe options. For example, your ex's parents liked you and you're on good terms? Call them and ask if you can sleep on their couch for a few days until you figure something out.

    5. While you're living on someone else's dime, in a place that isn't yours, friends, family, shelter, whatever it is, try you best to be on your best behavior. That means:

      • Try to avoid drugs and alcohol. If you need help with substance abuse, please reach out to some of the resources linked above.
      • Try to respect any rules of the household or establishment and stay out of trouble.
      • Keep your space clean and maintain your personal hygiene.
      • Try to avoid being a negative presence.

    6. It may be very difficult to find a better option, especially on short notice, but living and sleeping on the street is very dangerous, especially as a teenager. Contact one of the above help lines and they will help you find a safe place to sleep.

    Preparing if you think you might be kicked out or may need to leave soon

    1. Try to avoid accelerating the process and use any time you have to save up money and prepare. Your own safety comes first, though.

    2. Try to make sure you will have a place to stay. If you can sleep on a couch for a month and save up more money before renting a room, do it. You want to save up money as much as reasonably possible.

    3. Try to have your birth certificate, identification, passport, diplomas and anything else you will need. Store important documents at the home of a trusted friend or family member if possible. Note that your parent(s) or guardian aren't obligated to give you their copy of certain documents and you should not put yourself at risk to retrieve these because you can order a copy later (link for United States).

    4. Plan for the worst case even though it might not happen. Your parents may not support you going to school, fill out financial aid paperwork for you, etc. If you can't afford to pay for school on your own, you may need a different plan for continuing your education such as going to community college while working.

    5. If and when you need to spend money for a place to stay, try to spend as little money as possible on rent. That usually means renting a room instead of an apartment, having some roommates, etc.

    Financial Accounts

    • Joint bank accounts can be emptied by either account holder at any time so if you're old enough to open your own bank account (18 or 19 in the United States), open a new bank account at a different bank from the one used by your family. Local credit unions, online banks, and online credit unions are popular recommendations here. Use a local credit union if you will need to deposit cash.

    • If you're not old enough to open an account where you live, see if an adult that you trust will help open a joint bank account with you. When you are old enough to open your own account, open one as soon as possible and transfer your money over.

    • Sign up for electronic statements and consider using a different postal address (e.g., the address of a friend or trusted adult) so statements don't get delivered to your home.

    • If you're having trouble finding an bank or credit union that will allow an adult that isn't a parent or guardian to open an account with you, the Money account offered by Capital One 360 is one option in the United States.

    • Check your credit report and freeze your credit (sign up for credit monitoring before freezing your credit).

    School

    United States

    If you're still in high school, ask a guidance counselor or principal at your school about continuing your education. The McKinney-Vento Act is a federal law that mandates the right of students regardless of their housing status. The law provides resources and support including provide transportation, free meals, and other services.

    If you have questions about Federal student aid, and are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless read this guide from the Department of Education.

    Other resources

    Edits

    I've been making edits to this while going through all of the really helpful feedback so far. Here are a few things I'll be adding soon:

    submitted by /u/dequeued
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    Is my 26th birthday a death sentence? Advice needed on how to not die with a debilitating chronic autoimmune disease.

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 01:12 PM PDT

    I'm going to be 25 years old in June, so that means only one more year on my mother's health plan. Her plan is great because she gets it through the hospital she works at, but it only covers that specific health network, and I live a state over with no car. Regardless of the inconvenience, there's no way I'd be able to survive right now without it.

    I have no financial support at all from my parents except being on my mother's insurance. I am totally independent in this process.

    I have a chronic autoimmune disease that makes my life very difficult. I work part/full time and I'm in college part time. I'm not even sure how I do it to be honest, some days I just can't. My medication that I take for this disease is an injection that I administer to myself every eight weeks. Every dose costs about $21,000 without insurance (I currently pay 60). I also take an anti-nausea med for chronic kidney stones and am semi-regularly prescribed a high level pain killer to take as needed.

    On top of that I have multiple chronic illnesses relating to my mental health, and I'm the process of potentially being diagnosed with seizures or some other neurological problem. I take 5 medications for my mental health right now and I honestly don't know if I would survive without them.

    I see a therapist every week and a psychiatrist every 4 weeks.

    Because of all of these medical issues, I see different specialists fairly frequently, and get testing and procedures done often (CT scans, ultrasounds, x-rays, bloodwork, colonoscopies, shockwave lithotripsy, etc). I also sometime need surgeries, which result in hospital stays.

    Because I'm immunocompromised I'm also more likely to get sick from common illnesses, and they tend to effect me worse than the average person. My work is very understanding and lets me take the time off as I need it for my health. College makes it much more difficult and makes my health worse, but I'm nearly done with my bachelor's.

    I know changing health insurance is not something that happens immediately, so I need to make sure I'm set by June of 2020. This is why I've begun researching now. As much as the research is helping, I just don't know enough about the process or the important factors to consider.

    If you folks could give me any advice at all it would be so very much appreciated. I know it's over a year away, but I'm already very concerned. I just want to make sure I'm making the most educated and affordable decision.

    Thank you

    TLDR: I am going to be really sick for the rest of my life and my medication, need to see doctors, and numerous procedures cost a fortune without health insurance. Any advice on plans would be great.

    EDIT: I make too much money to apply for medicaid, about 45k a year

    EDIT2: I'm not sure why I'm being downvoted, but I really do appreciate the help.

    submitted by /u/taymx41
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    Recently promoted, training people who work under me, and found out one make $11/hr more than me.

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 05:36 AM PDT

    I am in construction management, and I was recently promoted. Now have two people working under me. One is new to the company, and this particular part of the industry (also 8 years my senior), so I am providing lots of training, on top of my new responsibilities. Doing cost projections for my projects, I noticed a big bump in cost for a portion of my budget that corresponds to the cost code the people who report to me charge their time to. I thought I was being compensated well for my promotion, but the new employee is making $11/hr more than I am.

    I am pretty upset about it, and I'm sure this happens to people more often than it should, but how did you handle a similar situation when bringing it up to upper management?

    submitted by /u/baconator07
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    Trying to find summer job to help family with bills and make my own money (14)

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 04:04 PM PDT

    The legal working age in my state is 14 but, most of the adults i've talked to said that the only place that will hire me is chick-fil-a. But the closest one is 3 miles away I wont be able to drive because my father works long hours and we only have one car. What would be the best place to apply to. I live next to a publix, postal service place, papa johns, zaxby's, wells fargo, family dollar, and taco bell all within walking distance.

    submitted by /u/MarkTheBeast123
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    Prenatal Test - Claim Denied by Insurance ($7k Bill Coming our Way?)

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 02:48 PM PDT

    Hi Redditors, using a throwaway account. In Summer 2018, a marker was detected during my wife's pregnancy. We were out of the country and did a CVS (genetic test). We paid for it out of pocket as it wasn't too expensive (compared to the US - under $500) and the local Obgyn urged us to do it sooner than later. When we returned to the US about a month later, my wife's obgyn reviewed the test and said that she would like us to be followed by a fetal specialist. That doctor recommended that we also do a Noonan's test (other genetic test). We agreed to it.

    We returned a few days later for the actual test. They had not told us anything about insurance (my fault for not asking but my mind was elsewhere with everything we were being told about potential genetic issues...). Only after my wife was in the prep room for the test itself, did the billing specialist come, and told us that the test may not be covered by the insurance (BCBS) based on their experience. My healthcare coverage is very good and I've honestly never worried about healthcare expenses to date ($500 max annual out of pocket). I pressed them to know how much it would be and the best answer I could get was "we're not sure, cannot tell you an exact number, maybe $1,000 or $2,000". My wife was extremely anxious about the test to come, and I told them to go ahead and do it (and likely signed some form to accept it).

    Fast forward a couple months later, $7k test bill went to insurance. It was in limbo for a while as insurance was asking for additional information from obgyn and we've just received a denial letter from insurance. I don't know that we could absorb a $7k bill without getting in debt. More importantly, I find it extremely disturbing that we were given the non-coverage info and vague cost in the prep room. Last, the amount we were told by the obgyn was nowhere near the $7k bill that has been submitted to our health insurance (not to us yet).

    I was hoping that some redditors may have suggestions as to where to start: work more BCBS, contact genetics company who did the test, fetal specialist who gave us the (wrong) cost and coverage info at the last minute or just wait for a bill to come to us.

    I'll take all the help we can get. Thank you all!

    submitted by /u/HealthcareBills
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    120k in San Jose vs 70K in Dallas?

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 07:20 AM PDT

    I've check a few salary calculators, but the rent prices have me puzzled. Is going from 70k in Dallas to 120K in San Jose even an upgrade?

    Update: I just found out that my first project is only a year long with option to get extended or get hired full time with the client and that I wouldn't be getting paid while on the bench.

    submitted by /u/bankster24
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    Letter from Goldman Sachs saying I was rejected for loan. I never applied.

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 06:15 AM PDT

    I got a letter in the mail yesterday saying that Marcus: Goldman Sachs regrets that they must turn down my loan request. I never applied for a loan, but what's troubling is that they have all my information anyway.

    Is this some sort of attempted identity theft? What should my first course of action be?

    submitted by /u/jmczimpat
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    How to deal with collections when no one owns the account ?

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 11:06 AM PDT

    Searched around and read the wiki and couldn't find anything about this specific situation.

    We closed out an account with ATT and switched to TMobile when they were offering to pay everything off to switch. They gave a partial payment and we were talking with them to get the rest but life got a little (lot) crazy and we completely forgot about it.

    Obviously it eventually went to collections and shows on a credit report. However we never got a collections notice, we only noticed on Credit Karma. When we called AT&T they have no record of an account under my husbands name (the account holder). When we called the collection agency to try to see if they would do a pay for delete they say they don't own an account under that name either.

    I don't really know where to proceed from here. Dispute with the agencies ? Dispute with the collection agency ? Dispute with AT&T ?

    Any help would be appreciated. We are trying to buy a house soon and this is literally our only bad mark and it's frustrating. Thank you.

    submitted by /u/Wosota
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    (crosspost) Bureaucratic nightmare - I just lost $3500 to PayPal. What can I do to get it back?

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 04:43 PM PDT

    Long story below. Links to all images here: https://imgur.com/a/GORIad0

    I'll narrate what happened so it goes along with each image. I live in Ontario, Canada btw.

    TL;DR I got scammed $3500 CAD by PayPal themselves (no, not a vendor using paypal, but paypal themselves). Looking for financial/legal advice, I am even seeking to escalate this to court or a lawsuit if I don't get my money back. Keep reading if you want to hear what happened.

    I just opened the account for the first time in March, and was using it to buy products for online retailing (simple things like neem oil or eucalyptus oil which you can get on ebay). I made the mistake of using a user name in the name field, which shouldn't be a problem, you just verify your identity/submit a scan of your drivers license and some banking statements and you're good to go, right? Apparently not. It makes no sense because it is an honest accident that I imagine many people make, and I entered it as my business name (not my personal name). There was no activity in the account prior to March 25th, and one of my withdrawal requests got approved. I tried several times with PayPal to verify my account but my documents (which were perfectly valid) got rejected for increasingly ridiculous reasons:

    1. First time my payment got denied I submitted a scanned copy of my ID, utility bills, bank statements, etc. I got approved, my account was reinstated, and I successfully withdrew 770 CAD on April 1st (see 2nd image).
    2. After second payment, on April 1st, I got two emails from PayPal, one saying "eCheck Payment Denied" and the other saying "request for more additional info", which required me to send CRA tax returns, property tax assessment, resubmit utility bills/credit card statements, and my HST number for my business. I submitted scanned legible documents for all of these within 24 hours of receiving the email (see 3rd image).
    3. Got two emails on April 2nd from PayPal. Said my verification documents were "rejected" because the name didn't match that on my PayPal account (paypal username was "S**** S****"). The proof of financials was rejected as well for this reason, but I got both overturned, however it took hours of calling and haggling with them. I had to get them to manually approve my request to change my PayPal name to my legal name. (see 4th and 5th image)
    4. April 7th, got a bizarre email from [complianceverifications@paypal.com](mailto:complianceverifications@paypal.com), stating access to my account was restored, but I was still blocked from withdrawing my money, and the email mistakenly referred to me as "C**** M****** O*****", which isn't a name I know or ever heard of. None of my submitted documents state that name at all. I had to call them back again and explain this was a mistake and that I still did not have access to my PayPal. (see image 6)
    5. April 12th, got an email from PayPal with the correct stated name, saying that access to my account was restored. Immediately after receiving this email I tried for a third (and final) time to withdraw my money. (see image 7)
    6. April 14th, PayPal finally emailed me back saying they rejected my verification documents again (despite them all being valid according to support workers on the phone), saying this time the document "does not have a company logo". This makes absolutely no sense because the only accepted documents are CRA tax returns or property tax assessments, none of which allow me to put my "company logo" on them. It seems like it was intentionally designed to be impossible to verify myself, and that they are deliberately making excuses not to let me have my money back. It honestly felt very malicious and targeted at me directly, especially since my account was unbanned/restored by their phone support staff, and then this decision was overturned something like 2 or 3 times. They are basically trapping me in a neverending loop and making me go through increasingly impossible and absurd lengths just to verify my identity. After this last email, whenever I log in to my account I get a big warning notice saying "You can no longer use PayPal anymore." (see images 8 and 9)

    I feel like I have exhausted myself and all my options are failing, and they are simply refusing to return the money. I am worried that even after the 180 day holding period is over, they will still refuse to give it back due to these ridiculous verification requests (which they will inevitably reject, since they seem to have an excuse every time). I just don't know how to help the situation. I have even consulted with a paralegal and discussed filing a lawsuit against PayPal. I am asking anyone for legal or financial help. Can I sue them if I don't get my money back?

    I am thinking of taking these posts elsewhere on social media, and putting PayPal on full blast for their refusal to give me back my money. This was a new account, just opened this March, and this was my first time ever trying to make any transactions on it. All this because I entered a username instead of a real name. It seems like an honest mistake anyone could make. What if an elderly computer user in their 70s misreads the registration form and accidentally inputs a username? What if a foreigner/immigrant who is not very good with English enters the wrong name by mistake? Not only do they get banned for life, but they have to pay for their mistake with a 3500 dollar fine? It is absolutely ridiculous and my blood is boiling. I can't believe such a large company is so dysfunctional and mismanaged. I am NEVER using PayPal ever again.

    submitted by /u/paypalscamthrowaway
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    Help, Someone deposited my paycheck.

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 01:22 PM PDT

    My work place said they misplaced my paycheck and now saying that it's been showing as cashed in ADP system.

    I been out of country for a month and never received my paycheck during out of country. When I'm back in country I approached my HR and they said it seems the check was not cashed yet and seems they misplaced it. On April 12th they said they are going to placed a stop payment on check in ADP system and requesting a replacement or issuance of new check. Now they are saying that ADP is saying that my cheque was paid.

    What are my options now. It's not a small amount to loose. Any help is appreciated.

    submitted by /u/nickksd69
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    Seeking advice: friend “won” a timeshare vacation and we don’t want to be scammed

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 08:58 AM PDT

    Hi all,

    So a friend of mine ~won a vacation from a kiosk at a festival. Unfamiliar with the business model for this stuff, she agreed to go. The company charged her credit card $75 in a deposit "refundable" to a visa gift card that she would get during the stay.

    Here are the terms, which are pretty vague: Your resort room accommodations are a 1-bedroom condo with up to a maximum occupancy of four (4) to include no more than two (2) adults and (2) children under the age of 18. As with all resort guests, a security deposit with either cash or a major credit card will be required upon check in at the resort. Your stay is complimentary, but all items of a personal nature will be at your expense. Upon check in please present this letter, a major credit card, and all adults in the party must present valid government issued picture ID's. Due to high demand, we do not accept cancellations or reschedules. While visiting, you will receive your refundable deposit in the form of a Visa Gift Card, usable wherever Visa is accepted!

    Sincerely, VIP Vacation Director Please note: This promotion is designed for US citizens, 21 years of age or older, who are married, cohabitating or single individuals with an annual household income of at least $40,000. If married or cohabitating, both parties must be present to receive this wonderful offer. Anyone who has participated in any promotions for Williamsburg Plantation Resort, The Colonies at Williamsburg, or their affiliates within the last 12 months is not eligible for this offer. In addition, employees, or their families, and any of our resort owners are not eligible. This offer is non-transferable, not valid for groups and cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion. Williamsburg Plantation Resort and The Colonies at Williamsburg reserve the right to alter or change the terms and conditions. All participants must meet the eligibility requirements to participate in the promotion. If you do not meet the requirements any gifts promised will be forfeited and you will be responsible for the retail cost of your accommodations (up to $225 per night depending on the season traveled). Williamsburg Plantation Resort and The Colonies at Williamsburg assume no responsibility for any verbal representation; this promotion is for the purpose of soliciting sales of timeshare periods. No pets are allowed on any VIP getaway. NJ:09-19-0007 & 09-19-0009 Your Always American Choice Vacation Certificate will entitle you to one (1) four day three night getaway up to (4) four persons to Orlando, Florida. The retail value of the accommodations provided though the certificate range from $255-$375 depending upon the resort hotel and the travel season. Reservations must be made in writing sixty (60) days in Advance of requested reservation date and be accompanied with a $100 refundable deposit for the reservation.

    My question is this: would it be better for us to go, deal with the presentation, and collect on the ~free stay~? Or should we just skip out altogether? I'm worried about further charges to her credit card from this company. Can they charge her beyond the $75 deposit if we don't show up for the hotel stay at all?

    Any advice is appreciated!

    submitted by /u/whateverneveramen
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    Seeking advice - was repeatedly billed 54 times by FedEx for two shipments I made within a month

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 05:10 PM PDT

    TL; DR: Made two shipments ($300 and $200) back in late March, was charged every day for the same amount since then. 27 times of $300 and 27 times of $200. Called credit card company multiple times and they just couldn't block FedEx from charging me, and called FedEx they said there's nothing they could do. They are still charging me that amount as of today.

    ​

    Ok so obligatory alt account because of privacy reasons. I cannot describe how frustrated I am but I don't really know what the next steps would be. Long time lurker too, so sorry if this is terrible formatting and English is not my first language so forgive me.

    ​

    In mid March I decided to move to another city because of a new job offer, and I decided to ship some boxes to my new apartment (worst decision I've made in my life probably). Long story short, I dropped off 8 boxes at my local FedEx location using FedEx Ground, which had a nice delivery guarantee of two business days. I couldn't fit all 8 into my car so I had to create two shipments and drop them off twice. I was billed around $500 for these 8 boxes (one $300 and one $200) on the day I shipped them.

    ​

    Then I moved, and was busy doing moving stuff. A week and a half later after settling in I found out on my credit card (Amex) statement that FedEx had been billing me the same $300 and $200 EVERY DAY since I made the transaction in person. Imagine having $500 billed to you every day for services you did not purchase. So I called FedEx, and they said because it hasn't been 7 business days so they couldn't see an invoice, and told me to wait.

    ​

    Ok so I thought it was just some weird billing methodology it's no big deal, and I kinda forgot about it. Which I know is stupid because after all I was getting charged $500 every day, but I believed in corporations and their ability to fix these little things you know, and I don't know which one is more stupid I guess.

    ​

    Early-mid April when I remembered I saw that they were still charging me $500 every day. I called Amex, disputed these charges, and asked for a block on FedEx and froze my card. I later thought ok cool so I'll let Amex handle this and I already disputed all these charges and froze my card - what could go wrong?

    ​

    Fast forward last Thursday, I discovered that despite the freeze and merchant block that Amex did for me, FedEx was still able to continue charging me EVERY DAY for $500. By that time my credit card balance was around $8,000 already and I freaked out. I called Amex, was told that FedEx was able to charge me because first it was recognized as a recurring bill, and secondly they first charged me as FedEx Ground, and later after the block they charged me as FedEx. The agent said he placed a new block and I should not see any more charges coming through. They did, in the same manner, EVERY DAY for $500.

    ​

    I called FedEx again, was told because I wasn't the "bill to" party (they said they bill to the location so the bill to party is the location I went to), so they couldn't tell me anything, and I needed to write to their remittance research department, which has no phone number. I wrote them an email with all the information, and got the response as "you need to dispute these charges with your credit card company and you may want to cancel this card." Simple as that, no solutions, will not stop charging me, no apologies and no nothing. Called again, and the agent went "sorry but there is nothing I personally can do, you will have to contact your credit card company". I know this is probably something above their pay grade, and there was nothing this agent could personally do. But they still keep charging me.

    ​

    I thought about cancelling my card, but I heard that they could still charge you even after the card is cancelled. I called Amex again, asked multiple times about why and how this could happen, and despite all the agents telling me there would be no more charges coming through, the next day FedEx charges me for $500. Again. It's been a month now, and I don't know what I can do. I'm not even asking for a refund despite all my boxes were torn, I just want them to stop charging me... Big "what should I do next?"

    submitted by /u/Okodo
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    Someone took my debit card info and accidentally sent what they bought to my apartment

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 12:11 PM PDT

    Last night I noticed a charge was made on Monday on my account for about $200 from a website that I definitely know I wasnt a part of. Fast forward to this morning I go to the bank and take care of all of the normal necessary fraud paperwork to get my money back. I get home, get ready for work, leave and notice a package with my name on it from the website they spent my money on. Open it and realize they sent the item they bought with MY MONEY to ME instead of themselves lmfao. What do I do with it???

    submitted by /u/_biancadez_
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    How to invest $50k - S&P 500?

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 10:50 AM PDT

    Quick rundown of the situation...

    I'm 27, making about $50k/yr. I have no debt and live in a relatively HCOL area but have lower than average expenses. I'm currently putting 20% into my 401k (including company match), and just opened a Roth IRA which I intend to put the max into for the year.

    I have an emergency fund of about 6 months of living expenses.

    After this, I have $50k sitting in a high yield savings account with Ally, but would like to do more with it than net the 2.X%.

    Is throwing like 75% of that into a brokerage account on the S&P 500 a bad idea? Considering I belive my ROTH will be invested in a Vanguard fund which consists of mostly the same....

    Thank you!

    submitted by /u/Duplicate-Username
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    32 and concerned that I’m overestimating my position, please take a look!

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 05:48 PM PDT

    Warning: do not read ahead if you're sick of middle class overextension problems. I'm fully aware that I'm very fortunate to have these problems and don't mean to take away from any of the awesome work people do on this sub saving and learning about finance. I realized that I've been lucky in this department because I've been focused on my career don't know the first thing about money management.

    Coming from a very humble place because I realize that I've just been putting money away with no plan and now have a kid on the way. Feel free to tell me I have punted my savings or what I should be doing. I'm just now starting to discover financial literacy. Honestly I'm just concerned about my ability to retire if I elect not to stay in the military for 20 years.

    32 yo

    Married, kid on the way.

    Total take home with spouse salary: about 140k

    House: purchased with VA loan at $579k, currently worth about $800k.

    Savings: about $260k between Roth IRA, Roth TSP and Vanguard funds. I always max out my IRA and this year started contributing to my TSP since the government matches 5%. Everything else gets saved into ETFs/Mutual Funds. I essentially refuse to touch anything in this pile. Don't know where else I could put it to do more work for me.

    Emergency Fund: 40k in between accessible checking and saving accounts.

    We take home around $12000 per month and put $3k of that into savings or investments. We live in a very high COL area my wife has a startup she's working on Saving more than 3k a month is doable, but would require some work.

    Both own our older cars outright, will probably need to replace one soon.

    Do I have enough of a head start for a kid? Is the 529 my best option for its education? Am I a moron for holding onto this house? If I'm investing less than 15% into retirement am I shooting myself in the foot? Thank you and again, feel free to ignore this post if I'm screaming into the void, but I legitimately don't know the next steps from here.

    submitted by /u/bewarethedownvoter
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    80% Stocks 20% Real Estate

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 07:54 PM PDT

    Im in my early 20's and I came to the realization that I have little need for fixed income and I know how to handle declines. Therefore, I am considering this asset allocation:

    80% Stocks - 60 US, 20 International 20% Real Estate - 15 US, 5 International

    Is this cool?

    submitted by /u/coolman2311
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    403(b) returning only 3%

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 05:36 PM PDT

    Help! I am concerned about my 403(b).

    This is the first year that I have begun contributing to my 403(b). I have a NY State pension through my work but after reading through PF for the better part of a year, I realize that it's smart not to put all your retirement eggs in one basket. I started contributing 10% to my 403(b) account in January.

    All of the finance stuff I read says you can expect average returns of about 7% in your 401k/403b. My annual rate of return is currently 3%. Am I doing something wrong or is this to be expected?

    I am currently invested in 71% equities, 13% Bonds, 8% real estate and 6% guaranteed, as per TIAA's advice.

    ** I can post my actual investment choices if that is helpful but I don't want this post to be too verbose.

    submitted by /u/asix66
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    Whole vs Term Life for Young People

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 08:42 AM PDT

    Hello! I recognize there are a lot of posts on this debate and I think I've read them all at this point. But I don't know that I have seen one with our particular situation. My fiancee's parents had her get whole life insurance at 18 years old (she is now 24). The WL policy is for $100,000 and her annual premiums are $980 per year. Neither of us have much money yet (trying to break into our careers), so that is a lot of money to us. Currently, her only debt is student loans that total $78,000, which her parents co-signed on. I own our house and have a term life policy to cover the mortgage, should something happen to me. Based on the exhaustive research I've done on here and elsewhere, it seems the recommendation is to drop the WL, get TL, and invest the difference. According to online quotes based on her age and health, it'd be like $12/month, so about $70/month difference to go to a Roth IRA or something. We're just afraid we're going to regret dropping it when we're in our late 50s. Would it make sense to instead reduce the policy to like $25,000 for a lower premium and just hold on to it forever? I feel there must be some value to getting a WL at the young age of 18, right? Both sets of our parents recommended keeping it, but I have a sense PersonalFinance may have other opinions. I would LOVE some personal advice for our situation as I've been doing so much research lately. Thanks!

    submitted by /u/Puddinhead720
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    Charged off accounts

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 07:15 PM PDT

    Trying to get my score back up and have a few accounts that were charged off with a balance. I have the money to pay off about half of the charged off accounts. Would this be worth it to get these gone or will the score change be minimal?

    submitted by /u/4chantellher
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    Question about apartment application and annual income as a full time student

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 07:15 PM PDT

    So for background, I'm about to start law school this fall, and I'm going to be using graduate loans to cover most of my living expenses (fortunately I'm on a really decent scholarship, so I can afford it)

    Right now me and a prospective roommate are applying for an apartment, and the application is asking me to indicate my annual income and

    I'm not quite sure what to say. I'm basically going straight from undergrad to law school and have only been doing part time work, meaning that my annual income is not super high and I don't want our application to get rejected because it looks like I can't afford the apartment; I will have the money to cover the lease.

    Should I include my loan total in my annual income or should I just call the complex to explain the situation? I was a resident assistant during undergrad so this is a new experience for me, any help is appreciated.

    submitted by /u/Laughviathan
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    My credit score has dropped. Any ideas why?

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 07:12 PM PDT

    Hi everyone,

    I've always been pretty good with my credit, so I believe, but I've recently seen my credit drop from 780 to 765. Maybe it's not a big deal? Here's some history (according to credit karma in numbers cases):

    I have one Visa from my CU, don't charge to it often (once every three months or so) but always paid in full after use.

    I have an American Express. Utilization has never been above 4%. I use this card more like debit. I pay it off usually daily and immediately if I have a purchase over $100. I like to keep it paid off for my own mental health.

    Last hard inquiry was 2017 when I purchased a home. Paid each payment 10 days early. Bills are all auto-pay for utilities. More info below.

    Had an auto loan in May 2018 for 3,000. No missed payments.

    No loans or new cards since May 2018.

    One credit card that was closed years ago finally fell off this month but I've been 765 for three months.

    I have a new job that does pay more.

    So with all that said I can't see why my score is going down instead of up. The only thing is that I have made an increase in wages with my new job but months ago my debt to income was likely high because my fiance and I split the house bills. Again, all of this is from credit karma so it's also likely it could be CK.

    Thanks for the help!

    submitted by /u/UF8FF
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    Was charged much more for a medical bill than the company quoted me - TX

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 01:12 PM PDT

    Recently was diagnosed with a medical condition and have had multiple tests and diagnostics run on me. The doctor wanted me to get an MRI done to rule some things out. The hospital has a program where you contact them, provide health insurance information (group, member ID, etc) and they give you a quote based on the MRI codes. I elected to use this prior to the MRI appointment because I know that my insurance isn't great and I wanted to shop around if I needed to. I have kept the voicemail where they call me and let me know that the estimated patient out of pocket for the MRI is $593.70. Fast forward to today and I get a bill for $1,900+. I contacted the billing department and spoke with a CR rep who stated that there was nothing they could do as it was an estimate and not guaranteed to be that price. She said the most she could do is offer their 20% discount if I pay in full instead of the payment plan ($80) a month. I work in customer service so I asked nicely and tried to see if there was anything to do. When she said no, I asked to speak with a manager. Just left a voicemail for a supervisor and am expecting a call back.

    What can I expect? This is a huge difference in amount as I had budgeted $600 not almost $2,000. Do I have any options? Should I contact my insurance company? What should I communicate to the billing supervisor so that they can work with me on the price?

    Sorry for formatting... On mobile and just got done leaving the voicemail and am frustrated.

    submitted by /u/dick_b123
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    Hi all, I may be getting a huge raise soon and have a few questions for all of y'all regarding home ownership and finances

    Posted: 24 Apr 2019 04:47 PM PDT

    Hi all,

    I just interviewed for a position working in a Mine as a paramedic working 5 days on 9 days off in Nevada. I currently live in Minneapolis and would likely fly to the job site and then come home. This position will likely be a minimum of 50k more annually with a maximum of 70k more annually.

    If I stayed in Minnesota, I'd likely be paying 5k - 8k in income tax. I'd also be paying 7200 annually for flights minimally. I own a house that I bought a year and a half ago that I've paid 3k down on the principal which is now at 102k. It was recently assessed and gained 10k in value in one year putting it at where I bought it at 105k. Minneapolis doesn't have a lot of home options so it's not insane to make more than it's valued at. I'm in a neighborhood in Minneapolis that'll likely be gentrifying significantly soon, so retaining ownership isn't an awful idea. If I rent, I'd probably charge 1000 a month and my mortgage is 700. I would also keep my current job in a part time capacity to offset the costs of my flights.

    I have about 140k in debt including my student loans, mortgage, and my credit cards.

    I've been messing with a lot of scenarios - - everything from renting out my house asap, paying it down until I can refinance at 250-300 a month to rent it out at 1k.

    If I moved to Nevada, I could rent an apartment for 700 in Reno. I wouldn't pay a state income tax and wouldn't pay for flights.

    My savings plan is to give me a small raise from my current wages and pay myself about 2800 a month after taxes and then pay off my debt and then save aggressively for five to ten years and put it in a fund making ten percent a year after I have 160k in the bank.

    Thanks yall.

    submitted by /u/ProbablyAnAsshole8
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