Many of us already know the components of a healthy relationship — things like strong communication, total honesty, and unwavering commitment. But most people don’t actually know what these qualities look like in practice.

As a result, couples may find themselves in a miserable situation. Even worse, they don’t recognize it due to unhealthy habits like emotional numbing, suppression, or normalizing issues. When you’re stuck in familiarity and routine, it’s hard to stop and assess your feelings.

As a psychologist who studies couples, I often recommend a quick survey to couples. If you find yourself answering “no” to all the questions, there’s a chance you may be unhappy in your relationship, but not realize it.

In relationships, conflict is both inevitable and necessary. But the way you fight matters more than what you’re fighting about. If it always feels like it’s you versus your partner, instead of the two of you versus the problem, it’s worth assessing why.

Research on conflict resolution shows that when both partners believe a disagreement is solvable, they’re more likely to find a way forward. But you can’t rely solely on optimism; you need a shared and clear-cut strategy. Otherwise, arguments can turn into emotional duels and over time lead to distance and resentment.

If your answer to this question is “no,” ask yourself: “What are we fighting for?” If the answer isn’t the relationship itself, sit down together to discuss and reestablish what it really means to be a team.

The healthiest relationships give you room to breathe. To laugh loudly, ugly cry, make a mess, and be weird. Research notes that people who feel secure in expressing themselves in authentic, unrefined ways are more likely to engage in healthier relationship behaviors.

If you have to constantly remind yourself to suppress parts of your personality, you’ll slowly start to lose invaluable parts of your identity.

If you answered “no” here, you need to pause and reflect. You deserve to be with someone who doesn’t flinch when they’re met with your most real, honest self. Great partners see this as a special privilege. It shouldn’t feel like something that has to be “tolerated.”

In the early wooing stages, curiosity comes naturally. You want to know everything about each other — what they’re thinking, how they see the world, what makes them tick. But later on, that curiosity can dwindle.

Research asserts that curiosity is a fundamental tool for emotional intimacy. If your partner stops asking questions about your thoughts, feelings, or experiences, they’ll never get to know the new versions of you that are born each and every day.

A “no” to this question could suggest that your relationship is running on autopilot. A partner who’s truly invested in you will keep asking, keep listening, and keep learning about who you are.

Mistakes don’t matter nearly as much as how they’re handled in the aftermath. Does your partner own up to their faults and try to make things right? Or do they dodge responsibility, get defensive, and turn the blame onto you?

Research on conflict repair teaches us that even the smallest gestures — acknowledging a mistake, offering a sincere apology, or even using humor — can stop an argument from spiraling. But when accountability is absent, you’ll eventually start questioning whether you can trust each other at all.

If your partner never takes ownership, or if they consistently make you feel like the “difficult” one for bringing up a concern, it might be time to regroup and reconsider what’s keeping you invested. Honesty, humility, and a genuine desire to do better should be a bilateral norm in a relationship.

Mark Travers, PhD, is a psychologist who specializes in relationships. He holds degrees from Cornell University and the University of Colorado Boulder. He is the lead psychologist at Awake Therapy, a telehealth company that provides online psychotherapy, counseling, and coaching. He is also the curator of the popular mental health and wellness website, Therapytips.org.

Are you ready to buy a house? Take Smarter by CNBC Make It’s new online course How to Buy Your First Home. Expert instructors will help you weigh the cost of renting vs. buying, financially prepare, and confidently navigate every step of the process—from mortgage basics to closing the deal. Sign up today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $97 (+taxes and fees) through July 15, 2025.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life, and request to join our exclusive community on LinkedIn to connect with experts and peers.

Some of the fastest-growing communities in the U.S. aren’t built around schools or playgrounds — they’re designed for retirees.

Often age-restricted to 55 or older, these developments feature amenities like pickleball courts, community centers and golf-cart-friendly streets. Most are located in warm, low-tax states, making them especially attractive to retirees looking to maximize their savings.

As baby boomers continue to leave the workforce, these areas have become popular destinations — with many regularly appearing in rankings of the best places to retire. As a result, they tend to have the highest shares of residents age 65 and older in the country.

One notable example is The Villages in Florida, a sprawling, self-described “active adult community” of roughly 140,000 residents, primarily age 55 and up. It was the fastest-growing U.S. metro area in 2023, according to the Census Bureau.

Other communities, including Sun City West in Arizona and Lady Lake in Florida, are seeing similar growth as they cater to a steadily expanding retiree population.

But just because a community is built for retirement doesn’t mean it’s affordable. In some places, retiring “rich” could require more than $3 million in savings.

GoBankingRates identified the U.S. places with the highest shares of residents age 65 and older using the latest available Census Bureau data, then calculated the total savings required to cover 25 years of spending at double the average annual expenses for local seniors to estimate how much you’d need to retire comfortably.

Locations include both cities and unincorporated Census Designated Places with at least 15,000 residents.

Estimated living expenses reflect average annual spending on housing, food, transportation, health care and other essentials by households age 65 and older, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data adjusted to the city level using analytics firm Sperling’s BestPlaces cost-of-living index.

Here are 15 places where older adults make up a large share of the population and what it would take to retire “rich” in each one.

1. Sun City West, Arizona

• Share of population age 65 and over: 86%
• Estimated savings needed to retire rich: $2,241,035

2. The Villages, Florida

• Share of population age 65 and over: 85%
• Estimated savings needed to retire rich: $1,784,374

3. Laguna Woods, California

• Share of population age 65 and over: 83%
• Estimated savings needed to retire rich: $3,785,271

4. Green Valley, Arizona

• Share of population age 65 and over: 80%
• Estimated savings needed to retire rich: $1,742,313

5. Sun City, Arizona

• Share of population age 65 and over: 75%
• Estimated savings needed to retire rich: $2,232,022

6. Sun City Center, Florida

• Share of population age 65 and over: 62%
• Estimated savings needed to retire rich: $1,961,631

7. Venice, Florida

• Share of population age 65 and over: 60%
• Estimated savings needed to retire rich: $1,994,679

8. Hot Springs Village, Arkansas

• Share of population age 65 and over: 60%
• Estimated savings needed to retire rich: $1,339,730

9. Englewood, Florida

• Share of population age 65 and over: 59%
• Estimated savings needed to retire rich: $2,000,687

10. Marco Island, Florida

• Share of population age 65 and over: 59%
• Estimated savings needed to retire rich: $2,247,044

11. Naples, Florida

• Share of population age 65 and over: 56%
• Estimated savings needed to retire rich: $2,226,014

12. Punta Gorda, Florida

• Share of population age 65 and over: 54%
• Estimated savings needed to retire rich: $1,646,174

13. Lady Lake, Florida

• Share of population age 65 and over: 52%
• Estimated savings needed to retire rich: $1,844,461

14. Estero, Florida

• Share of population age 65 and over: 51%
• Estimated savings needed to retire rich: $1,958,626

15. Rancho Mirage, California

• Share of population age 65 and over: 50%
• Estimated savings needed to retire rich: $2,742,762

Are you ready to buy a house? Take Smarter by CNBC Make It’s new online course How to Buy Your First Home. Expert instructors will help you weigh the cost of renting vs. buying, financially prepare, and confidently navigate every step of the process—from mortgage basics to closing the deal. Sign up today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $97 (+taxes and fees) through July 15, 2025.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life, and request to join our exclusive community on LinkedIn to connect with experts and peers.

It’s not uncommon for Americans to feel like they’re not saving enough for retirement — no matter their age or income level.

But earning a higher salary can help you save more, as long as you increase your contributions along with your income. So it may not be surprising that workers with higher incomes tend to have higher 401(k) balances, according to newly released data from asset management firm Vanguard. 

The median balance of defined contribution plans — which are employer-sponsored retirement plans like 401(k)s or 403(b)s — among workers making between $100,000 and $149,999 is nearly double what workers making $50,000 to $74,999 have invested, per Vanguard. The firm examined data from nearly 5 million participants across its defined contribution plans.

Here’s how much workers have in their retirement savings plans at each income level.

Notably, the average balances are significantly higher than the median balances. The median is often a more representative figure, however, because averages can be skewed if a small number of participants have significantly higher or lower amounts invested.

And keep in mind these figures only represent savings held in Vanguard defined contribution plans. Investors may have additional retirement accounts with other plan providers or separate brokerage accounts.

Despite ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty like stubbornly high prices and recession fears, many Americans have prioritized their long-term financial goals through retirement account contributions. 

“There has been persistent, year-over-year progress in retirement savings behaviors,” David Stinnett, head of strategic retirement consulting at Vanguard, told CNBC Make It in an email. “Seemingly regardless of market and economic conditions, we find that workers are getting started saving earlier, saving more of their paycheck, and investing their savings in age-appropriate asset allocations more consistently.”

Regardless of income, one factor that has helped boost savers’ balances is automatic enrollment. Employees with 10 or more years of tenure who were automatically enrolled in their company’s retirement plan had median account balances roughly 60% higher than those who had to opt-in to contributions, the same Vanguard study found.

The median balance among auto-enrolled investors with at least 10 years of service was $192,372 in 2024, compared with $121,094 for voluntary enrollees.

“We’re encouraged by how employers design their 401(k) plans to make it easy for workers to save and invest for retirement, and automatic enrollment is a big part of that,” Stinnett said.

Are you ready to buy a house? Take Smarter by CNBC Make It’s new online course How to Buy Your First Home. Expert instructors will help you weigh the cost of renting vs. buying, financially prepare, and confidently navigate every step of the process—from mortgage basics to closing the deal. Sign up today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $97 (+taxes and fees) through July 15, 2025.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life, and request to join our exclusive community on LinkedIn to connect with experts and peers.

Most people in the early stages of a new romance look for evidence that confirms their compatibility. Not my husband and me.

Despite having chemistry, we started with the hypothesis that we weren’t a good match. We would discover a deal-breaker down the road — something big like how much money we wanted to give our aging parents or something small like what temperature room we like to sleep in — that would lead to our demise.

At the time, we were both tenured professors in the same academic department at the same university. If things went bust, it would be very uncomfortable to go to work each day. Academic jobs are hard to come by, which meant we might be stuck in that awkward situation for life. 

So we created a list of questions, guided by basic principles of relationship science, that are critical for couples to openly communicate about if they want to know whether they’re really compatible. Unlike the questions you find on dating apps, they don’t apply to everyone. We tailored our list to us. If you’re making a list with your current or prospective partner, I’d suggest you do the same.

But to help you build your questionnaire, here are the main themes you should focus on, with a few examples to get you started: 

Conflict over money is a big driver of divorce. Couples fight over big money issues but also small ones, like whether they should spend money on a house cleaner. These issues can lead to a pattern of conflict that is tough to get out of. 

Ask questions like:

• Do you like to spend money as you make it, or squirrel it away for later?
• How much should we each pay for stuff? Split dinners? Share costs of vacations?

The stress we feel at work has an outsized effect on our interpersonal relationships, even influencing sexual function, like the ability to reach orgasm.  

Ask questions like:

• How do you manage workplace stress?
• How important is your job to your identity? 
• How do you feel about making sacrifices for my career?

Money and career are must-discuss topics, and, depending on your circumstances, so are other big categories like kids, parents, and religion. 

Ask questions like:

• Do you want any kids (or any more kids)? 
• What are your thoughts about co-sleeping with kids? 
• How often do you want to visit your parents? 
• How important is it to you that they like me? What if they don’t?
• If I’m religious (or anti-religious), would that bug you?

When we have chemistry with someone and feel aligned with them on big things like values and goals, we assume the daily things will fall into place. But they can be real relationship deal-breakers.  

Sleep is a must on this list; it’s one the strongest predictors of health outcomes and relationship satisfaction. But I also suggest touching on food, pets, humor, and time alone. 

Ask questions like:

• What’s your ideal bedtime? 
• Do you have sleep apnea? Do you see a CPAP machine (a breathing machine used to treat sleep apnea) in your future?
• Do you like to cook, eat take out, or both?
• Do you like pets? Cats and dogs, or fish and lizards?
• Are you allergic to pets?
• Can we poke fun of each other or does that bug you?

When I think about the importance of physical intimacy, I’m reminded of a scene from “Annie Hall.” Annie and her partner Alvy are both in therapy, shown on a split screen. Their respective therapists ask them, “Do you have sex often?” Alvy laments, “Hardly ever, maybe three times a week,” whereas Annie responds in an exasperated, annoyed tone, “Constantly, I’d say three times a week.” 

Despite its outsized effect on relationship longevity and physical health, we don’t have good social scripts for talking about sex. 

Ask questions like:

• How much sex do you like?
• How open are you about your preferences? 
• What are you into? What are you not into? 

What we’re “allowed” to talk about in relationships is based on norms, and when it comes to relationships, these norms are often morally tinged. There’s a category of taboo questions where even thinking them — let alone asking them out loud — violates social norms. 

In some cases, you’re too embarrassed to ask the question. In others, you worry that caring about the answer will reflect poorly on your character. Ours included questions about family history of mental health problems. 

Here are some others I’ve encountered in my work: 

• Have you ever struggled with a weight problem?
• How do you feel about consensual non-monogamy? 
• Have you ever hit a partner? 
• When you die, are you giving everything to your kids? Or is your will negotiable and could include me? 
• Among widows and widowers: Do you want to be buried next to your (dead) spouse?

We often slide into relationships, rather than making thoughtful, deliberate decisions. Going through this exercise won’t make you feel comfortable, but that’s not the goal. 

What good will avoiding that temporary discomfort do when you find yourself lying awake next to the love of your life, his cat that you’re allergic to at the foot of the bed, feeling all hot and sweaty because he likes it balmy at night and you love the air conditioner?   

Tessa West is a social psychologist and professor at New York University. She has spent years leveraging science to help people solve interpersonal conflicts in the workplace. She’s the author of ”Jerks at Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them″ and ”Job Therapy: Finding Work That Works for You.” She is an instructor in CNBC’s online course How to Change Careers and Be Happier at Work.

Are you ready to buy a house? Take Smarter by CNBC Make It’s new online course How to Buy Your First Home. Expert instructors will help you weigh the cost of renting vs. buying, financially prepare, and confidently navigate every step of the process—from mortgage basics to closing the deal. Sign up today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $97 (+taxes and fees) through July 15, 2025.

I turned my back on corporate America after getting laid off in 2015. I decided to become a full-time entrepreneur instead. I threw all of my energy into growing my personal brand and scaling my Bridesmaid for Hire side hustle — which offers bridesmaids for hire, wedding day and maid of honor support, speech and vow help, and other services.  

This cost me time. I went from working a 9-to-5 job to putting in over 70 hours a week. I ran my business as a one-woman show for almost a decade, traveling all around the country and working as many hours as needed.

But when I became a mom in 2023, my priorities changed. I wanted to spend more time with my daughter, while also keeping my business afloat. That’s when I pivoted to making passive income the heartbeat of my business, earning money from a variety of products, including AI tools and affiliate links. Today, I make about $6,300 a month in passive income.

If you’re looking to start a side hustle that generates passive income, here are my top tips: 

When I realized my website draws nearly 40,000 users a month on average, I decided to monetize it with ads and affiliate links. 

Audit what you’re already working with, whether it’s a social media following, an email list, or even a skill set that’s in demand among your friends. For example, are you the one everyone always asks for help choosing art for their walls? The social media video specialist of the friend group? The go-to bridesmaid and wedding speech helper?

Find ways to generate revenue from those foundations. It’s often faster and more reliable than starting from scratch. 

I’ve learned firsthand how easy it is for side hustles and passive income streams to fail because there’s no interested audience. I once spent a few hundred dollars and over 20 hours building a course that not one person purchased. I thought people would want to invest in this topic — using Google analytics to help with brand storytelling — but they didn’t.

Before building out an idea, make sure there’s an audience for it. If I want to invest in launching a new tool, for example, I’ll first write several blog posts that incorporate SEO keywords around that topic (like “bachelorette party hashtag”). I’ll also share them with my newsletter subscribers and social media followers to see if enough people are clicking.

If you’ve built a TikTok or Instagram following, pay attention to patterns. What kinds of posts get the most engagement? What are people saying and asking in the comments? Is there a product you can create that addresses their needs or wants?

After having a baby, I realized I was spending too many hours working on things that weren’t scalable. For example, one of my most popular services is writing wedding speeches. Each speech took five or six hours, and I’d often have 10 to 15 due in a month. 

To reduce the burden, I partnered with a developer to create AI wedding speech and vow tools, trained by over 200 of the speeches I’ve written in the past. It maintains my writing quality and style, while servicing more customers at a lower price point ($35 versus $397).

This transformed my expertise from a time-for-money offering to a scalable product that brings in thousands a month in passive income. 

I always hear people saying that to be successful you have to find a niche and stick with it. I don’t agree. I’ve pursued multiple different passions, skills, and interests, and haven’t been afraid to diversify.

Recently, for example, I took the speech-writing tools I built for the wedding industry and repurposed them, with some adjustments, to help people looking to write eulogies and graduation speeches. 

This allowed me to create additional passive income streams without starting from scratch (starting to notice a theme?). 

I always thought being an entrepreneur meant you had to hustle 24/7. But I’ve found that this mindset causes burnout and actually hurts productivity in the long run. Now that I only work 20 to 25 hours a week, I have to ruthlessly evaluate which activities generate income versus those that just fill my calendar. 

I only do phone calls one day a week and set 15-minute limits to each one. When I’m in my work hours, I block social media and news websites. I say no to events, meetings, or busy work that isn’t pushing my specific goals forward.

Having less time available forced me to focus on what truly moved the needle rather than getting caught up in tasks that felt productive but didn’t pay. I get more done working a third of the hours I did in the past.

Jen Glantz is the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire, the author of ”Finally the Bride: Finding Love after Walking down Everyone Else’s Aisle,” and the creator of The Pick-Me-Up newsletter. Follow her adventures on Instagram @jenglantz.

Are you ready to buy a house? Take Smarter by CNBC Make It’s new online course How to Buy Your First Home. Expert instructors will help you weigh the cost of renting vs. buying, financially prepare, and confidently navigate every step of the process—from mortgage basics to closing the deal. Sign up today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $97 (+taxes and fees) through July 15, 2025.