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What are the best options for Americans to hold funds in a savings account in a foreign currency? For example, deposit dollars into a foreign account and hold it in pounds sterling. My goal is to reduce my risk if the dollar loses its value/is no longer a reserve currency. Alternately, what financial professional would advise me how to do this? I asked the accounting firm that does my taxes and they could not help or refer me to someone. [more inside]
posted by Geigs at 11:46 AM - 14 answers

I've worked as a geologist and a research engineer, and am wondering about a change of career. I'm considering firefighting, or becoming a therapist, or trying to move into some kind of project manager role. Anything that allows for working remotely or with flexible hours is a big plus. Problem solving, language skills, outdoorsy skills, project management, building a team - these are all things that I enjoy and am good at. What job would allow me to put them all together? [more inside]
posted by twirlypen at 3:52 AM - 12 answers

I'm new to the academic research world. I got here just in time for it to burn down. [more inside]
posted by marvelousmellitus at 7:26 PM - 14 answers

It looks like mom's Amazon was hacked, and we've frozen her credit card, but how did these acquaintances end up involved? [more inside]
posted by ldthomps at 11:28 AM - 12 answers

What other career paths do you suggest for Software QA Analyst? [more inside]
posted by Mountain28 at 6:15 PM - 6 answers

I often misinterpret situations so would be grateful for some feedback on this scenario. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:52 AM - 16 answers

I need to fire my assistant. I’ve already tried to fire her twice and both times, she’s convinced me to give her another chance. How do I firmly and kindly let her go? [more inside]
posted by silverstatue at 5:29 PM - 36 answers

How should I handle a recent drop in new opportunities from my booking firm? [more inside]
posted by ljs30 at 3:26 PM - 7 answers

There's been a lot going on with my current employer lately and, I think, the writing's on the wall and my position could be in danger. I can see myself being potentially let go soon. Which means: job search. I work in libraries and job searching is usually tough enough, but I'm ready to look for jobs in other places/other fields. However... I don't "get" how to do this. Advice? [more inside]
posted by VirginiaPlain at 11:15 AM - 15 answers

How can I help my money-management-challenged friend get on top of monthly spending? [more inside]
posted by MelissaSimon at 10:03 AM - 7 answers

Does anyone have any tips and tricks for looking for work around Manchester - currently searching online but will be in person later this year. [more inside]
posted by saucysault at 6:25 AM - 4 answers

I am in the US and was recently left a modest inheritance by a family member. The money is invested and not in a tax-advantaged retirement account. With the current state of the stock market in mind, what should I do with it? [more inside]
posted by toastedcheese at 7:13 AM - 16 answers

I’m 32. Newly single and not looking for love. I’m looking to create the life I have dreamt of. Mostly I just want to be away from my hometown and al line pain associated with it. I know I can’t run from myself but I think getting away and more near nature and starting over would be good for me. I just got a new job. Can I make my dream to move away happen in 1-2 years? [more inside]
posted by anon1129 at 11:26 AM - 24 answers

I was laid off last year. I have unvested funds in my 401k. Will they ever be vested? [more inside]
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 10:03 AM - 4 answers

I have federal student loans, payments which have been mostly paused since 2020 for COVID and then all the crazy Dept of Education stuff that has ensued since. I certified for the SAVE IDR plan a while back with the hope of forgiveness, but alas that has not come to pass. With all the craziness happening right now, I really don't know what my best plan options are when payments restart this summer and my loan servicer did not seem confident in her responses when speaking on the phone. Help? [more inside]
posted by greta simone at 1:51 PM - 8 answers

For the past two months, our kWh usage has been 50% higher than ever before. Lifestyle details inside but, in a nutshell: gas heat, unplugged some appliances and haven't changed any others. Can you give ideas for how to diagnose this issue and how to talk to our utility about it? [more inside]
posted by rednikki at 6:14 AM - 24 answers

Asking for my acquaintance mentioned here: When they're job searching, what are all the key phrases they should use to find QA(?) roles that are suited for software developers? [more inside]
posted by zeek321 at 3:25 PM - 5 answers

An acquaintance, completely unprompted, offered to drive me to work during the week for a little extra cash and asked me to propose a weekly amount. I’d like to take him up on this, as it would simplify my mornings so much. Help me come up with an acceptable amount, given the snowflake constraints below. [more inside]
posted by ActionPopulated at 9:10 PM - 26 answers

We're a US family of three, living in a city with a medium cost of living. To help figure out our budget, I'd like a better understanding of what other US-ians spend on groceries. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 12:29 PM - 20 answers

Since either the most recent Adobe update or the most recent mac OS update, I find that my windows in Acrobat expand to full screen whenever I move them off to one side or another. This is no bueno for my workflow: I need two PDFs to sit side-by-side. What setting do I need to change to make this happen?
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 1:41 PM - 7 answers