Advice Column

I’m 17, still in school, and working a part-time job. My parents recently gave me a monthly payment plan to “pay them back” for raising me—covering costs like food, shelter, and general care. On top of already giving them part of my paycheck, this new demand is way more than I can afford. I feel trapped and unsure if I’ll ever be able to move out.

They insist it’s their right and that I agreed to it years ago, though I don’t remember that. Can they legally force me to do this?

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I’ve been with my girlfriend for five years, and I love her deeply. But last weekend, she confessed that she slept with her male friend (27) after they went for a drive in her new car. According to her, he repeatedly pressured her for sex, touching her until she eventually gave in. I was devastated. For the past few days, I’ve been in no contact, barely eating, numb.

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My mom is looking to buy her first apartment. They are trying to convince me to cosign on the mortgage (my mother’s income is from her business so she is having a hard time getting approval for whatever reason).

I have been extremely adamant on the risks and negative impact to my personal credit history. However, I am not being told that being a cosigner will not affect my future chances of buying a home is I am able to provide 12 months of payments.

Is this true? How does this really work?

Will the mortgage still be on my personal history and will I still be liable for missed payments etc every month? What are the other potential downsides and risks? Any upside at all?

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We had our baby last year. She was two months old when it first happened. I can’t even remember the context anymore. Afterward I was really upset and asked him to swear that we never bring up leaving each other unless we actually mean it. He denied saying it but agreed.

The next time was a few months ago. The dog jumped on him, he yelled, and the baby started crying. I ran into another room with her. He followed a minute later saying the house was too chaotic and that I needed to help him. I told him he was scaring the baby and that it wasn’t okay. He said, “Fine, I’ll just leave then.”

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I’ve been married to my wife (32F) for five years, and lately, I (33M) feel like I’ve lost any sense of freedom or privacy. It’s as though every day, she’s looking for something to be upset about, and I’m always walking on eggshells.

Take our finances, for example. While we share our money, we also have our own separate accounts. Yet, she logs into my account and questions every single purchase I make, even though we’re not struggling financially at all. I can’t bring myself to ask her about her spending habits because I’m afraid it will lead to a blow-up.

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I 28(M), just had my partner 29(F) of 6 years tell me that she told another man “I love you”, let’s call him Tim.

Tim and my partner met at their workplace, they’ve grown very close over the last year. He’s professed his love for her in the past, but she has not said confessed anything to him in the past. Tim once again this weekend confessed his love and how this has affected him. After, they cried together, talked and held hands. She assures me nothing more has happened, and I fully believe her, we are very open with everything in our relationship.

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