J.D. Blackwell articles

Nations with vast oil wealth are diversifying into green energy — not because they want to, but because they have to.

Countries dependent on crude oil revenues are stepping up their green energy investment not just because of obligations, but out of necessity.
November 18, 2025 J.D. Blackwell

Before his downfall for insider trading, Ivan Boesky boasted that “greed is alright.” His words were made famous by the movie “Wall Street.”

Ivan Boesky’s rapid rise and stunning downfall was emblematic of 1980s Wall Street excess and inspired Hollywood’s most notorious character, Gordon Gekko.
November 11, 2025 J.D. Blackwell

I gave my friend a reference with my boss to get her a job with us, but she’s arriving late to work every day and causing problems. Now what?

You helped your friend get a job with your organization, but now she's showing up late every day and driving everyone nuts. We look at how to handle the situation.
November 3, 2025 J.D. Blackwell

The Real Cost Of Ticket Scalping On Sports And Music Fans

When tickets for concerts and sporting events sell for hundreds, or even thousands of dollars above face‑value, it isn’t just demand driving the price. We look at the system of ticket scalping, who benefits from it, and what can be done about it.
October 27, 2025 J.D. Blackwell

My mom named her two brothers co-executors of her will. Now my inheritance is on hold because they’re not on speaking terms. What can I do?

When two people are listed as co-executors of an estate, it can complicate your inheritance, especially if the two executors aren't on speaking terms. We look at how to proceed.
October 15, 2025 J.D. Blackwell

I have $10K on my credit cards. I'm making minimum monthly payments, but an online calculator said it will take me 23 years to pay them off. Now what?

If you're only paying the minimum amount on your credit card balance each month, it'll take you a long time to pay it off, because you're only paying the interest and not the principal.
October 8, 2025 J.D. Blackwell

We agreed to sell our house and split the proceeds after our divorce, but my husband wants to sell the home himself without a realtor. Now what?

You thought you and your ex had a clear plan to sell the home with a realtor, split the proceeds, and move on with your lives. Now that your ex-husband wants to handle the sale himself, you may need guidance so as not to derail your financial outcome.
September 18, 2025 J.D. Blackwell

My husband cleaned out our joint account when he gave expensive gifts to his family. Now that I’m divorcing him, he refuses to reimburse me. What now?

If a spouse has almost emptied your joint bank account on the eve of divorce proceedings, you need to review strategies to protect your finances and restore some fairness.
September 3, 2025 J.D. Blackwell

I was getting eaten alive by the 15% interest on my student loan, so I paid it off using money from my 401k. Now I’ve got a huge tax bill. What now?

Paying off high-interest student loan debt is a major step in the right direction, but if you dipped into your 401(k) to do so, you’ll be on the hook for a lot more tax.
August 22, 2025 J.D. Blackwell