Dear Jeanne & Leonard: For the past five years, a friend and I have made good money buying foreclosed-on houses from banks, fixing them up and then either selling them or renting them out. Last year, though, "Matt" got married, and now his wife, who manages a fitness center and who knows zero about real estate, insists on reviewing every decision we make. Matt and I never had trouble agreeing on what to buy or when to sell. But now he has to run everything by his wife. Last month we missed out on two good properties because she was out of town and he felt he couldn't commit to buying them until she saw them. Matt's a good guy and a good partner, but this is driving me crazy. What do I do?

— R.W., New Braunfels, Texas

DEAR R.W.: Sorry, but Matt was a good partner. He has a new partner now — a partner senior to you, it would seem. There's not much you can do about that.

Of course marriages are, among other things, financial partnerships, and, all other things being equal, spouses have a right to be involved in how the money is being invested. But that doesn't automatically entitle Matt's wife to insert herself into your and his real estate operations, any more than it entitles Matt to hire and fire employees at her gym.

Good luck to you, though, in getting Mrs. Matt to back off. Unless you're prepared to accept this woman as a partner, you need to find a new friend with whom to invest.

DEAR JEANNE & LEONARD: I have five children, and my brother has none, so he's been helping my family financially. The problem is, I hate my job and want to quit, but I know that would make my brother furious. What should I do?

— Little Brother

DEAR BROTHER: By all means, quit your job — just as soon as you find a new one. Having accepted your brother's support and having put yourself in a position where you can't get by without it, you owe it to him to do everything you can to minimize the financial burden you've become for him, starting with staying employed.

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