Letters to Robinson
Reader Q&A Advice Column
Real financial inquiries submitted by readers, answered with CFP/CFA quantitative diligence. Rent vs. buy calculations, retirement nest eggs, and asset placement rules.
Letters: My Parents Left the Family Business to My Brother, Not Me — What Are My Rights?
Dear Robinson, I am heartbroken and furious. My parents passed away within months of each other earlier this year, in late 2025 and early 2026. They built a successful manufacturing business from the...
Letters: Child Support Battles & Co-Parenting Overspending: What Are My Rights?
Dear Robinson, I'm at my wit's end. My ex-husband, Mark, and I divorced three years ago, and we have two amazing kids, Emily (10) and Josh (7). The court ordered him to pay a set amount of child supp...
Letters: Wedding Debt vs. Down Payment - A Prenup Dilemma
Dear Robinson Roacho, I’m writing to you because I feel like I’m at a crossroads, and my wedding planning has turned into a financial nightmare. My fiancé, Mark, and I are getting married next year,...
Letters: Inherited a Windfall, Drowning in Debt – Invest or Pay Off?
Dear Robinson, I’m writing to you because I’m completely overwhelmed and don't know what to do. My Aunt Carol, bless her soul, passed away last month and left me a surprise inheritance of $100,000. I...
Letters: Late-Career Panic – Can I Still Save Enough for Retirement at 58?
Dear Robinson, I'm writing to you in a state of utter panic. I'm 58 years old, and my retirement savings are, frankly, pathetic. I only have about $120,000 saved, mostly in a traditional 401(k) from...
Letters: My Sister Emptied Our Mother's Eldercare Account and Wants the Family Home
Dear Robinson Roacho, I'm writing to you out of desperation. My mother, who is 82, has been declining mentally for the past two years. My sister, Clara, lives closer to Mom and has always been the 'f...
Letters: My Brother Refuses to Help with Mom's $130,000 Annual Dementia Care. What Do I Do?
Dear Robinson, I’m at my breaking point. For the past two years, I’ve been the primary caregiver for my mother, who has rapidly progressing dementia. She’s 82, and her needs have escalated to 24/7 sup...
Letters: My Fiancé's Family is Demanding an Extravagant Wedding and a One-Sided Prenup. What Do I Do?
Dear Robinson, I'm writing to you from a place of deep emotional turmoil. My fiancé, Mark, and I are set to marry in six months, and what should be the happiest time is turning into a nightmare. We've...
Letters: Navigating Family Gifts and First-Time Home Buying in a High-Cost Market
Subject: Trapped between my dream home and my parents' expectations! Dear Robinson, My husband, Mark, and I are at our wits' end. We've been saving diligently for years to buy our first home. We liv...
Letters: Catching Up on Retirement at 58 - Is It Too Late?
Dear Robinson, I’m writing to you in absolute panic. My husband and I are both 58 years old, and we’re staring down retirement with barely anything saved. We always prioritized our kids’ education and...
Letters: My 'Best Friend' Owes Me $50,000 and Is Ignoring My Calls. What Do I Do?
Dear Robinson, I’m writing to you out of sheer desperation and a broken heart. Three years ago, in 2023, my best friend, Mark, was struggling to get his tech startup off the ground. He came to me, dis...
Letters: My Brother Won't Help with Mom's Eldercare, and I'm Draining My Retirement
Dear Robinson Roacho, I’m writing to you out of sheer desperation. My mother, who is 82, had a stroke six months ago, and her health has declined significantly. She now requires full-time in-home car...
Letters: My Ex Is Rich, But Our Child's Growing Needs Are Drowning Me!
Dear Robinson, I’m writing to you out of sheer desperation. My ex-husband, Mark, and I divorced five years ago, and our child, Leo, is now 12. The child support order was set back then, and honestly,...
Letters: Fixer-Upper Dreams vs. Financial Fears: A Pre-Marital Home Dilemma
Dear Robinson, I'm writing to you because I'm at my wit's end, and my wedding is only six months away. My fiancé, Mark, and I have been together for seven years and have diligently saved $120,000 for...
Letters: Inherited $100K, But Drowning in High-Interest Debt – What Should I Do?
Dear Robinson, I'm writing to you in a state of complete financial paralysis. My beloved Aunt Clara recently passed away and, to my shock, left me a substantial inheritance of $100,000. It's a bitter...
Letters: My Brother Owes Me $100,000 for His House, and Our Family is Falling Apart
Dear Robinson, I'm writing to you in desperation. Two years ago, in early 2024, my brother, Mark, was in a bind. He found his dream house but was short on the down payment. He came to me, promising to...
Letters: My Sister Inherited the Family Lake House, I Got Cash – What Are My Rights?
Dear Robinson, I'm writing to you from a place of deep hurt and confusion. My mother passed away last month, and her will has caused a rift in our family that I fear can never be mended. For the past...
Letters: My Ex's Lavish Life vs. Our Kids' Needs – Can I Get More Child Support in 2026?
Dear Robinson, I'm at my wit's end. My ex-husband, Mark, and I divorced three years ago. We have two amazing kids, 10 and 12. The divorce was messy, and the child support order was based on his incom...
Letters: Wedding Dream vs. Prenup Reality – Can Our Marriage Survive?
Dear Robinson, I'm at my wit's end. My fiancé, Mark, and I are supposed to be planning our dream wedding for next spring, but it's turning into a nightmare. I’ve always envisioned a big, beautiful cel...
Letters: Should I Invest My Inheritance or Pay Off High-Interest Debt?
Dear Robinson, I'm writing to you today feeling completely overwhelmed and desperate for guidance. My grandmother, bless her soul, recently passed away and left me $50,000. It's a bittersweet moment,...
Letters: Late-Career Retirement Catch-Up Dilemma - Is It Too Late?
Dear Robinson, I'm writing to you feeling completely overwhelmed and frankly, a bit ashamed. My husband, Mark, and I are 58 years old. We've worked hard our entire lives, but our focus was always on...
Letters: My Siblings Want to Sell Mom's House, But I Live There and Can't Afford to Buy Them Out. What Are My Options?
Dear Robinson Roacho, I’m writing to you from a place of deep despair and utter exhaustion. My parents passed away within six months of each other last year, leaving behind their home – the house I g...
Letters: Sibling Rivalry and the Crushing Cost of Eldercare in 2026
Dear Robinson Roacho, I am at my breaking point. My 82-year-old mother’s health has declined rapidly over the last year, and she now requires extensive in-home care. I’ve taken on the role of her pri...
Letters: Prenup Pressure & a $150K Wedding – Can Love Survive the Money Talk?
Dear Robinson, I'm writing to you because I'm at my wit's end. My fiancé, Mark, and I are supposed to be planning our dream wedding for next spring, but it's turned into a nightmare. He comes from a v...
Letters: Family Home Dilemma – Should We Buy My Parents' House or Our Dream Home?
Subject: My Parents Are Guilt-Tripping Me into Buying Their Old House – And It's Ruining My Relationship! Dear Robinson, I'm writing to you because I'm at my wit's end. My partner, Alex, and I have...
Letters: Can I Really Catch Up on Retirement Savings at 58?
Dear Robinson, I am writing to you in absolute despair. I'm 58 years old, and frankly, my retirement savings are pathetic. For years, my life revolved around supporting my ex-husband's entrepreneurial...
Letters: My Brother's Failed Business Loan is Ruining Our Family and My Future
Dear Robinson, I'm writing to you out of desperation. Three years ago, in 2023, my brother David approached me with an exciting business idea. He needed $50,000 to get it off the ground. We're close,...
Letters: Sibling Rivalry and the Skyrocketing Cost of Eldercare
Dear Robinson, I'm at my wit's end. My older brother, Mark, lives just an hour away from our 82-year-old mother, Clara, who has been in declining health since her stroke last year. I live across the c...
Letters: My Ex-Husband's New Wife Controls His Wallet, Leaving Me Drowning in Child Support Debt in 2026
Dear Robinson, I'm at my wit's end. My ex-husband, Mark, and I divorced five years ago, and we have a 10-year-old son, Leo. Our child support agreement felt fair at the time, but it's 2026 now, and e...
Letters: My Brother Owes Me $50,000 and It's Destroying Our Family
Dear Robinson, I'm writing to you out of desperation. Six years ago, in 2020, my younger brother, Mark, needed a down payment for his first home. He was struggling, and I had some savings, so I lent...
Letters: My Friend's Failed Business Cost Me My House Down Payment
Dear Robinson, I’m writing to you because I’m desperate and don’t know where else to turn. My friendship with Mark, my best friend since college, is on the brink of collapse, and my financial future...