You shouldn't invest the money if you are looking to use it within five years. Too much risk.

I love teaching people how to handle their money and I've built a brand on that skill.

No matter who is in the White House, I just keep doing what my grandmother taught me. Hate debt. Save. The best any of us can do really.

You are NOT a financial failure if you rent. You are getting something for your money. A roof over your head.

My Big Mama is my No. 1 financial role model. Much of my advice stems from what she taught me. She never made more than $13,000 a year, yet she paid off her home before she retired. She saved money from every paycheck. She taught me to be skeptical. It makes me cry to think that I'm a nationally syndicated personal finance columnist for one of the world's best newspapers and my core advice comes from my black grandmother who was a nurse's aide with just a high school education.

You can't time the market.

The key to making sure your credit stays good is paying the bill on time. If you are paying the balance off even if there is something on the card in recent purchases, you are good.