<prompt> Human: Its not a big deal but I thought Id say something in case the mods have an opinion on them using this subreddit. Most people here seem to be against financial advisors unless its a complex situation and they are required.  <response>: Jonnelle Marte is in fact a finance writer for the Post. This sounds like a legitimate query. This sounds like one of those financial makeover articles where persons situation is described and a guest adviser chimes in with a plan and rationale. Its a way to get common questions answered but within a more realistic setting. NYT and Kiplingers have done columns like this in the past. 