Social Security and caretaker are different. The doctors,will determine if caretaking is,required and eligible for support. You could some research and offer the info to your brother if this is an option in their state...it might help ease the financial drain

Otherwise, this is their problem at this point.

The hardest part is looking...but really, truly, it's better to know than to try and hide but live in terror of the mess lurking just out of sight.

Tackle a little at a time. Work on one thing, then take a break...and a deep breath. When you're ready and rested, look at another piece. Keep at it, and slowly you will figure it out.

Good luck.

See the WIKI, and notice that learning to budget is a key life skill.

https://reddit.com/r/personalfinance/w/index

The one with the best deal changes from week to week...and you can drive yourself crazy chasing the deals...not to mention you get no interest while the money is in transit. And some of those higher rates come with conditions.

I'd say, Pick one. Check on the rate every 3 months to be sure everything is still OK. Move only if you can get > 1 to 1.5% difference (and no weird hoops to jump through), and even then you might wait to see if your bank catches up.

Sounds like you have a plan. Saving aggressively now,will really help. Way to go!

Why no impact? The extra income being taxed to 2022 could be very different than being taxed to 2023 if you were trying to stay within a bracket, no?

Where are you? How old? What do you have for savings now?

These all make a difference.

There a flowchart in the Personal Finance Wiki..

https://reddit.com/r/personalfinance/w/index

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/072513/basics-tbills.asp

Check out the YNAB budget system. It's not about restrictions, but about truly planning out how you want to use your money.

The simple solution is a high yield savings account. Open online at Ally.com or DiscoverBank.com or Capitalone360.com. I believe you can make it a joint account (though CapitalOne360 was a bit clunky for doing that.)

When the account is set up, link your existing checking account to transfer money into the new savings,account (or back out). Transfers take a couple of days but are very straight forward. (They are ACH, similar to direct deposit or online bill pay.) These are paying a little over 3% currently.

Think it's a good idea to login and check the balance before you walk out of the Walmart store?

3K isn't much and if the 2nd engine fixed the problem...you might have another 3-5 years.

Bad move in general. You'll need (maybe) some credit to help smooth the cashflow once you are operational. Maxing your line of credit, or worse trashing your credit score, will not help you get a business off the ground successfully.

You make it sound like these are easy outcomes...getting debt write-down or even damages!...while failing to remind OP that their credit worthiness will be trashed in the process.

The savings account can be a high-yield savings account at an online back, like Ally.com, discoverbank.com, marcus.com. You open just the savings account (pays 2-3% these days), and link your current checking account to it to transfer money in or out.

Sometimes these low-income programs are not available if you have an employer provided health insurance available, so read the fine print.

Becoming poor to avoid paying co-pays seems counter intuitive. Wouldn't it be better to earn more so you can afford to pay your co-pays?

Also, were you enrolled in a high-deductible plan last year or a PPO or HMO?

Don't know...but aren't trusts different than individually owned assets?

What are you looking for that you are not getting at Fidelity?

Yes. Budgetting is the key to everything.

Then take a good at this...

https://jlcollinsnh.com/manifesto/

The group is going to advise no, I think, with the info you've given us.

If Mom has the money, the house should be in her name.

If she is trying to hide assets, there are a ton of ways this could go wrong and make a mess for you.

Just say, No, thank you.

Ah, the money that could be made if one had a crystal ball.

Sorry...couldn't resist.

No idea. Fed says they will keep raising rates, so I do expect interest on HYSA to rise...but by how much...🤔??

How much difference in total interest would it make - 4% vs. 5%? If <$100, I wouldn't even worry about it.

Which card company? Did they provide evidence it was you that bought stuff? Any appeals option?

And did you report it as "fraud"...that different than challenging a transaction. In the first, you are saying I was not the person who placed that order...someone stole my identity. In the second you are saying I didn't get what I paid for. Make sure the CC is investigating for "fraud."

I get what you are saying...people start small then fall behind and it's so easy to keep buying. But I think there are also lots of people who start out in debt with a big "I-can't-cover-this-(vet/doctor/car repair/new furnace)-bill, so I'll put it on the credit card...that's what it's for." And also a bunch who lose their job and use the CC to hang on while job hunting. I'm not convinced that using CC for everyday purchases is really a gateway drug for debt....it would be a fun question to research.

Consider DiscoverBank as well, they've been around for a while.

I'm curious what the statistics really are. I know a lot of people who do pay off every month and collect the rewards (though I also know people who think CCs are for buying things you don't have the money for.)

Just did a quick Google search and got 45% pay in full each month, another 6% only charged one big thing in a year.