Jack Hawkins articles

A storm blows through, and suddenly your neighbor’s oak tree is lying across your roof. The damage looks costly, but when you call your neighbor’s insurance company, they refuse to pay. Now you’re left wondering: am I stuck with the bill? The answer depends on fault, insurance rules, and how you handle the claim. This article breaks it all down, so you know your options.

Most collectors obsess over familiar titles like Action Comics #1 or Detective Comics #27 in the vast world of comic books. But buried beneath the iconic names are lesser-known gems—issues that were once tossed into bargain bins and are now worth a small fortune. These obscure comic books have skyrocketed in value, whether due to rare print runs, historical quirks, or unexpected character debuts.

You dipped into your emergency fund to buy a car. At the time, it felt like the right move: you needed the wheels, the deal was decent, and hey—it’s kind of an emergency, right? But now you’re left with that gnawing thought: What if something actually goes wrong and I don’t have any safety net left?

You paid your taxes with a credit card, and now you owe both Uncle Sam and the bank that issued the card. You’re staring at two hungry creditors and wondering: “Who do I disappoint first?” The short answer is that you should never disappoint the IRS. But the long answer, which we’re about to unpack, is that while the IRS is scarier, the credit card companies can bleed you dry even faster.

When I first dreamed up the idea of a cat yoga studio, I imagined peaceful stretches, purring companionship, and a quirky business that would practically market itself. What I didn’t imagine was the mountain of bills that would follow—mostly for things I never even considered when I wrote my first budget. Cat food, litter, cleaning supplies, and unexpected vet visits quickly outpaced the money I was making from classes, leaving me staring down credit card statements I couldn’t keep up with. My dream business had turned into a debt trap, and I had to figure out how to climb out.

It never occurred to me that one day I’d be forced to pay my boss out of pocket just for showing up late to a Zoom call. But recently, I discovered that my manager had invented his own strange rule: if you’re late, even by a minute, you owe him five dollars on Venmo. At first, I thought it was some kind of odd joke, but I quickly realized he was serious.

You took out a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) to transform your house into something out of a renovation show, and everything seemed great—until the Federal Reserve sent interest rates soaring. Now your HELOC feels less like a smart financial tool and more like a straitjacket. The good news is that you still have options, and by understanding them step by step, you can chart a path out of this financial squeeze.

Owning a home comes with plenty of surprises, but few are as disheartening—or as soggy—as discovering your basement has turned into an indoor pond. At first, you might grab a mop and hope it’s a one-time fluke, but the frustration mounts quickly when it happens again and again. To make matters worse, many homeowners are shocked to learn their insurance won’t cover the damages, leaving them with a tough choice: sink money into costly repairs or sell the house fast and walk away.

Someone you've trusted with your heart, home, and financial well-being has stopped paying the bills completely. You're getting calls from lenders, the bank, and the mortgage broker, just when you thought everything was fine. Your credit scores are in the toilet, and so is your marriage. Here's how to get out of the situation with your dignity and protect what assets you still have.