Karin Price Mueller is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com, a personal finance web site that offers smart and objective advice on everything money. She also writes the Bamboozled consumer affairs column for The Star-Ledger, and a monthly money column for Inside Jersey magazine, and she's been the recipient of many national and local journalism awards. Mueller lives in Monmouth County with her husband — Star-Ledger reporter Mark Mueller — and their three kids and two English Mastiffs. Whatever they don't eat goes into her retirement savings accounts.
Karin Price Mueller
How you can hunt down an old pension
Q. My wife worked at a Pantry Pride supermarkets for a few years while in high school and after. She recalls contributing to a pension and wondered if/how to find out if she can check if she can claim it after all these years.
Teaching teens about money
Q. My brother isn’t good with money and his teenagers aren’t doing too well either. I want to give them advice but I don’t want to get in a fight with my brother, who never wants to talk about money. Any suggestions?
Juggling homes during relocation
Q. I need to relocate but I want to keep my shore home. I was thinking of taking a HELOC to use as down payment on the new condo. Is this a good idea ?
Choosing guardians for your minor children
Q. I’m having trouble deciding on who to name as guardians for my kids. I know my sister loves them but she’s bad about money. Am I better off with someone who is more responsible with money?
Buying a rental home with friends
Q. We want to buy an investment home with friends. How do we handle ownership and the expenses?
Valuing your residence and your vacation home
Q. We have heard horror stories about New Jersey’s use of the value of a vacation home to claim that we would still be residents, even if our primary home is in Florida. Our vacation home is on LBI and will most likely be worth more than our home in Florida. We want to be residents of Florida. Is our only option to sell the beach house?
Hiding cash for estate tax purposes
Q. My father died and we found $200,000 cash in two fire boxes in his basement. Do we have to include that in his estate? He owned a home and already will have to pay New Jersey estate taxes.
What the election means to your portfolio
Q. I’m nervous about what will happen to the stock market no matter who wins the election. What do you think will happen. I have 20 years before I retire.
Should married couples have separate accounts?
Q. My husband thinks we shouldn’t have separate checking accounts. I think we should so we don’t fight about money. How can we compromise?
How sector funds could fit in your portfolio
Q. Sector funds used to be really popular. Are they still, and can they make sense in a portfolio for diversity? Or are they just more expensive than other kinds of funds?