Eden Prairie, MN

From time to time, we get a listener question on our Sunday morning show on WCCO that opens the door to a much larger financial planning conversation. This is one of those questions: “I’m 62. I don’t need Social Security to live on. Should I take the benefit now and invest it for better returns?”

Parents spend a lot of time thinking about how to prepare their children for adulthood. We talk about education, character, and work ethic, but money often gets pushed to the side. That’s a mistake. How children observe and experience money early on can shape their financial behavior well into adulthood.

As we turn the calendar to a new year, many people revisit familiar resolutions like getting healthier, getting organized, or simply getting a fresh start. But one resolution deserves a place at the top of the list in 2026: reducing or even eliminating “bad debt.” And that begins by understanding that not all borrowing is created equal.