DEAR HARRIETTE: My uncle gave me quite a few shares of stock as a graduation present. I'm sure that's a great gift, but I don't know anything about the stock market. He is a big-time broker with a bit of an attitude. I want to ask him about the stocks and to teach me about investing, but I'm afraid he will laugh at me because I know so little. Should I just read up on stocks by myself, or dare I ask him to teach me? -- Young Investor, Washington, D.C.
DEAR YOUNG INVESTOR: I like both ideas. Begin your research so that you can show a kernel of interest in this generous gift from your uncle. Look at Money, Kiplinger's and Forbes magazines and at SmartMoney in The Wall Street Journal for starters. And by all means, contact your uncle to thank him for the gift and to ask him to schedule an appointment to talk about stocks.
Have a notebook at the ready and ask as many questions as you can. Sincerely express your interest in learning about money, finance and stocks. Tell your uncle about your initial research, and ask him to recommend books to read, online sites to visit, etc. Ask if he will give you a tour of his office and introduce you to other people in the money-management world.
As you move into the next phase of your life, it is surely helpful to learn about building wealth. Perhaps your uncle can help lead you on that journey.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently moved into a new apartment with a new roommate. We get along well, except that my roommate is a super-early riser and I am a late-night girl. It's tough for us to have good sleep-and-awake patterns, which has made us feel frustrated with each other. We live in a two-bedroom apartment with one bathroom.
How would you recommend that we both get our rest so we don't chew each other out because our patterns are disturbed? -- Sleep-Deprived, Chicago
DEAR SLEEP-DEPRIVED: It's time to establish a schedule with your roommate. Have a meeting and talk about your challenges -- particularly, who is awake and when. Set times to turn out the lights and lower the volume that accommodate each other's need for quiet. Make sure you also allow time when you can speak at full volume, play music and entertain guests.
As far as the bathroom goes, do your best to schedule alone time. If you keep the bathroom door closed, the sound of water running in the shower will be muffled. You may also want to invest in a few area rugs. Rugs absorb sound.
When you are awake and your roommate is asleep, do your best to spend your time in an area that is out of earshot of your roommate's bedroom.