ArcaMax

Dear Eric: My goddaughter is getting married in December. Her parents have experienced crushing financial loss through no fault of their own. So, I told my goddaughter I would contribute $500 to the wedding dress.

She picked out a dress without consulting me that cost nearly 10 times that much and sent me a picture of the receipts. After much ...Read more

Every day, I get the question, from both clients and friends, “Should I pay for the dating apps?” And when they are referring to the apps, they are referring to the ones like Hinge and Bumble where the basic services are free but there are in-app upgrades. (Sites like Match.com and eHarmony require payment in order to communicate with people...Read more

Dear Eric: I had a starter marriage many years ago that only lasted a couple of years. We got married too young and I quickly realized that I had nothing in common with my wife. We divorced but she returned to me after a few months wanting to get back together. The problem is she admitted cheating on me with a married man.

We tried to make a go...Read more

Dear Eric: I am the stepmother to two great young men. Their father and I have been together since they were teenagers. When they were young, it was a difficult but necessary position for me to be in when it came to teaching them about manners and household chores. They thought I was nagging them to put a napkin on their lap, take their hat off ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have an 18-year-old daughter who just moved four hours away to college. Her father and I have been separated for almost three years. Prior to moving to college, she visited him only during court-ordered visitation. She felt like he did not want her around or he made no effort to have a relationship with her.

She recently came home ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — More than a decade ago, Tinder became the hottest dating app, transforming modern romance by making it possible for singles to swipe through people's profiles, match and meet up.

Now, Tinder is fighting to keep the flame alive. Sometimes in unexpected ways.

Last month, it convinced UCLA students to meet in a big group in the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — More than a decade ago, Tinder became the hottest dating app, transforming modern romance by making it possible for singles to swipe through people's profiles, match and meet up.

Now, Tinder is fighting to keep the flame alive. Sometimes in unexpected ways.

Last month, it convinced UCLA students to meet in a big group in the ...Read more

Dear Eric: Three years ago, I invited my 24-year-old son to stay with me in my one-bedroom condo while he saved for a place of his own. During that time, I struggled with alcohol and then needed emergency surgery for something unrelated that has devastated me physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually.

I maintained my sobriety for ...Read more

Dear Eric: My sister-in-law, Suzy, married John 51 years ago in a state distant from where we lived at the time. I am married to John’s older brother. I was seven months pregnant with our third child, and we were living paycheck to paycheck at the time, which made spending money on travel and accommodations a burden.

But the real reason I did...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’ve been dating my girlfriend for a little over a year, and for the most part things are great. We’re both pretty sentimental people, but in different ways. I save things — not in a hoarder way, but I’ve kept shoeboxes of old letters, birthday cards and printed photos from past relationships going back to college. I don’t ...Read more

Why is it that something that should seem so easy – telling someone you’re not interested – is so hard for so many people? I certainly understand that no one wants to hurt someone’s feelings. But, in saying nothing (ghosting, if you will), you’re doing a lot more damage to their feelings than simply telling a high-level version of the ...Read more

Dear Eric: My sister, Olivia, died unexpectedly about a year ago. I received the call. I in turn called my other brother and sister. Of my family, only Olivia and I were close. My brother bullied us mentally and physically during our childhood.

She has an adult son, who decided to let the state take care of things, as they were both transient. ...Read more