Is it the marshmallows or the memories? — The red brick church sat facing the winding road, a steeple and white cross on top. If you are standing on the road, looking at the church entrance, you see a small pond to the left and as your eyes go up the steep hill, you see an old stone…

And how I learned to let go and live a happier life — Order. Predictability. Pattern, routine, habit. All of those can be comforting, calm, even restorative. But if we’re trying to control — if we are seeking to create our own order from a world that seems chaotic — we can be in for some unpleasant experiences. In short: We can only…

You can do it yourself — without a credit repair company — In the wake of news that most medical debt will be removed from consumer credit reports this summer, you may be wondering how to be sure your credit report is accurate going forward. 70% of Medical Debt to be Removed from Credit Reports Credit reporting agencies announce relief for consumers facing medical debtadvocateandy.medium.com An accurate credit report matters because your credit score is used for things like getting a mortgage…

Begging the question: Which half wants my writing? — May was the (insert large-sounding number)th consecutive month during which my Substack on education policy has attracted one and a half new subscribers each day. Slow and Steady Substack Growth The numbers keep climbingadvocateandy.medium.com Admittedly, I’m pretty happy with slow and steady growth. Roughly 10% of all new subscribers become paying members. …

They are also mini stories — No, not that kind of mini. Yes, I do write a lot about my adventure sharing content on ManyStories. This week, I slipped from my perch near the top of the ManyStories Top 10 and was ranked the 8th top writer. Of course, it was a Holiday week and I…

That’s good news and bad news — I’ve been writing on NewsBreak for over a year now, and almost immediately, my earnings there eclipsed what I earn here at Medium. My NewsBreak Earnings were 7x My Medium Earnings in April That’s because I had a really solid Medium monthadvocateandy.medium.com Yes, usually by a factor of 7 or 10 or even more. Of course, this was due in part to my relatively low (coffee money) Medium earnings.

But not at the same time — Every month, I share my top five earning stories from the previous month. This helps me analyze what’s working and it may show other writers a bit about the types of pieces that can earn here. Or maybe not. Still, it’s information. Which, let’s face it, is power. The past…

Installment lender defrauded 25,000 customers — A short-term installment loan can sometimes be a lifesaver. Or it can seem that way. You need some cash for an unexpected expense — not just a relatively small payday loan, but a few thousand dollars. Maybe your credit isn’t great, but you have reliable income and just need some…

State standardized tests are big business — Tennessee standardized testing vendor Pearson will soon be collecting $40 million more thanks to Gov. Bill Lee’s administration extending and adding to the testing company’s contract. Tennessee Lookout has more: Amid uproar over third-grade reading scores and the prospect of thousands of failing students, Tennessee lawmakers extended the testing vendor’s…