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.

Do's & Don'ts: At Work

← Newer articlesPage 20 of 201

How One-Income Families Make Retirement Work

The spousal IRA, the survivor gap and the pension election that quietly decides whether your wife is fine at 78.

GuideReal EstateRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

How To Read The Loan Estimate Lenders Hope You Skim

Three pages, one form, and a few boxes that tell you whether the rate you were quoted is actually the deal you're getting.

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

Ask it

GuideSide HustlesRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

What to Set Aside for Taxes on Side Income From Dollar One

Open a second checking account, move 30 percent of every payment out of reach, and learn the four things the IRS actually wants you to track.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

PartnerGermProof.com

Retirement6 min read

Claiming Social Security At 62, 67 Or 70

The same work record can pay three very different checks for life. Here's how the math works, and the question most couples forget to ask.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideReal EstateRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

Fixed, Adjustable, FHA, VA and Conventional Loans Side by Side

Five loan types, what each one actually costs you per month, and the fine print that bites buyers who only shopped the rate.

GuideSide HustlesRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

What to Charge for Saturday Handyman Work

The license threshold, the insurance nobody skips twice, and the hourly math that tells you whether giving up Saturday is worth it.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideRetirementRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

How to cover health insurance if you retire before 65

COBRA, the marketplace, a spouse's plan or part-time work, plus the income lever most early retirees don't know they're holding.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

GuideReal EstateRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

How to win a bidding war without waiving your inspection

Sellers pick offers on certainty, not on how much protection you gave away. Here's how to look like the safe bet and still keep your outs.

GuideSide HustlesRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

What eBay and Facebook Marketplace Actually Pay After Fees

A drill kit that sold for $120 put $71 in my pocket. Run the same math before you list, and know which things aren't worth the box.

Ask BRO

Rehearse the raise conversation with me

Ask it

GuideRetirementRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

Medicare Advantage or Medigap and How to Actually Decide

One choice at 65 is easy to make and hard to undo. Know how the two paths differ before the mailers start piling up in your driveway.

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

PartnerDelicious.com

GuideReal EstateRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

Closing Costs Line by Line, and Which Ones You Can Haggle

Page 2 of your Loan Estimate is where a few thousand dollars quietly changes hands. Learn to read it, and you'll get some of that money back.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideSide HustlesSam OrtizSep 23, 20266 min

Tutoring After Work Pays Well If You Pick the Right Subject

Algebra II and chemistry pay double what general homework help pays, and the families who need them are all standing in the same three places.

GuideRetirementRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

Medicare Parts A, B, C and D Without the Alphabet Soup

What each part actually pays for, the seven-month window you can't miss, and the one deadline that quietly costs you money for the rest of your life.

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

PartnerNames.com

GuideReal EstateRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

What Moves Mortgage Rates And What You Can Actually Control

The Fed doesn't set your mortgage rate. Your loan file does most of the work, and you can move most of that before you ever lock.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

Side Hustles7 min

Weekend Pressure Washing and What It Actually Pays

Retirement6 min

Retiring Early And The Bridge Years Nobody Plans For

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

Ask it

$Run The Rent Versus Buy Math For Your Own Town$

GuideReal EstateRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20265 min

Run The Rent Versus Buy Math For Your Own Town

Most rent-versus-buy advice is a slogan. Get these six numbers off your own street and the answer stops being a guess.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

PartnerCancerDefying.com

News6 min read

The Census Sets Your District for the Next Ten Years

New York lost a House seat in 2021 by 89 people. That's how thin the margin is between a headcount and political power.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

Older articles

Older Trades stories