‘He broke down in tears’: I gave my contractor $100,000, but he used it to pay off his debts. What chance do I have of getting my money back?

Dear Quentin, I’m in a home-renovation nightmare. My interior designer accepted $ 100,000 in payments for appliances, cabinets, flooring, fixtures and hardware but never paid the vendors for those items. When confronted he broke down in tears, and confessed that he needed to use the money on other business expenses.  Meanwhile, my project is at […]

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10 great places to live in the Midwest

Each year, Livability publishes our research-based Top 100 Best Places to Live in America. The list is based on more than 50 data points and examines more than 2,000 cities to rank the best places to live in the U.S. Here, we’re highlighting the top places to live in the Midwest based on our research. Each of […]

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Here’s what’s worth streaming in January 2024: ‘Masters of the Air,’ ‘Echo,’ ‘Griselda’ and more

As the calendar flips to 2024, the streaming world looks more expensive and less expansive than a year ago. Changes are everywhere: Most of the major streaming services have raised prices over the past year; Amazon is adding commercials to Prime Video in January; corporate consolidation is looming; and there are significantly fewer shows being […]

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‘My friend is a die-hard feminist’: When her future husband asked her out, she insisted they split the bill and he said, ‘Great!’ Who should pay on a first date?

Dear Quentin, My best friends tell the story about when they met. He was her teaching assistant at university and he noticed her right from the start. He asked her out several times, but she turned him down. My friend is a die-hard feminist. When she finally agreed, she said she would go out on […]

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‘My sunny outlook doesn’t come without some risks.’ What to expect after the Santa Claus rally

“An economic ‘soft landing’ appears to be in the cards.” The U.S. stock market’s year-end rally looks intact. Lately I have been focused on equity hedge-fund performance and the necessity of hedge-fund managers to preserve and enhance returns ahead of their Dec. 31 incentive fee calculation dates. Funds that haven’t yet closed their books are […]

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This fast-growing country is taming inflation and in strong financial shape — and its stock market is calling

From our recent travels around India, it appears that the world’s most populous country could be poised for long-term growth. An infrastructure boom is evident, government policies are making India an attractive destination for companies to uproot supply chains from China, and a digital transformation is revolutionizing access to credit. The country also has seen […]

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How a big, messy ‘cleanup’ in crypto could pave way for a more regulated, mature market in 2024

Bitcoin rallied dramatically so far in 2023, with an over 150% gain year-to-date. A changing of the guards may be partly why. MarketWatch photo illustration/Getty Images, iStockphoto After what industry participants are calling a big, messy “cleanup” of the digital asset industry, crypto bulls are hopeful that the fledgling space will be anchored by more […]

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