Trades & Careers

Electrician, lineman, welder, plumber. How to get in, get certified and get paid what the work is worth.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

GuideAde FisherSep 23, 20266 min

HVAC Work Doesn't Stop When the Economy Does

Furnaces don't check the stock market before they quit in January. Here's how the licensing, the pay and the on-call nights actually work.

GuideAde FisherSep 23, 20266 min

Welding Pays Well If You Chase the Right Certifications

The test that separates a $22-an-hour shop job from traveling pipe work takes about six hours and most guys fail it the first time.</title> <dek>The test that separates a shop job from traveling pipe work takes about six hours, and most guys fail it the first time.

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Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

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GuideAde FisherSep 23, 20266 min

How to Land a Trade Apprenticeship and Get Paid to Learn

The application window, the aptitude test, the panel interview, and the six things that sink most candidates before they ever pick up a tool.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

PartnerDelicious.com

Texas Democrat Cuellar pushes back on party calls to abolish ICE

A centrist lawmaker from a border district is resisting progressive efforts to eliminate or defund the immigration agency.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

GuideMoneyRay OkonkwoNov 8, 20265 min

The ninety-minute money meeting that runs your whole year

One sit-down a year, one folder, one pot of coffee. Most of the job is deciding what not to touch.

GuideSkillsWes DunbarNov 8, 20265 min

Snake the shower drain before you pay somebody to

Most shower clogs are a wad of hair a foot or two down. A hand-crank snake, a screwdriver, and half an hour will usually settle it.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

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GuideBusinessRay OkonkwoNov 8, 20265 min

Price the breakdown, not the machine

Used equipment isn't cheaper or riskier than new. It's a bet on how much a dead Tuesday costs you. Do that math first.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

GuideMoneyRay OkonkwoNov 8, 20265 min

The $669 rental that actually loses $173 a month

A worked example of a rental house, from the napkin math to the real cash flow, with the mortgage, taxes and repairs most first-time landlords skip.

GuideSkillsWes DunbarNov 8, 20266 min

Fix a sagging door in twenty minutes with the hinges still on

A door that rubs at the top corner is usually a loose top hinge. Here's the order to fix it, starting with the cheapest move and never taking the door down.

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What should I wear to this?

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GuideBusinessRay OkonkwoNov 8, 20265 min

The sticker price is just the down payment

A $6,500 machine can cost you more than a $10,500 one by year four. Here's the math to run before you sign anything.

Dude.com — 16 AI advisers who listen, talk and are here with you

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GuideReal EstateRay OkonkwoNov 8, 20266 min

Inspect a rental for the bills, not the paint

You'd forgive a dated kitchen in your own house. In a rental, the things you can't see are the ones that set your return.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideCryptoRay OkonkwoNov 8, 20265 min

Your parents aren't wrong to worry about your crypto

Stop defending Bitcoin and start answering the questions they're actually asking. The conversation gets easier when you do.

GuideSide HustlesRay OkonkwoNov 8, 20265 min

Sell your handwriting by the envelope, not the design

Addressing wedding envelopes and lettering shop signs can pay well per hour, if you stay out of design work. Here's the math, the costs, and when to skip it.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

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GuideMoneyRay OkonkwoNov 7, 20266 min

Read the invoice before the check, not after the argument

Once the check clears, you're the one chasing. Before it does, you hold every card. Here's how to read a contractor's final bill line by line.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

Skills6 min

Fix a torn belt with a saddle stitch that won't unravel

Retirement6 min

A Roth ladder pays tax early so you can retire early

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Pressure-test my business idea

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GuideReal EstateRay OkonkwoNov 7, 20266 min

The title commitment is an offer, not a clean bill of health

It tells you what the insurer will cover if certain conditions are met, and what it won't. Read the exceptions before you're sitting at the closing table.