What to do with your money when crisis hits A survival guide

"Good financial times don't last forever," so it's best to be prepared, warns Washington Post personal finance columnist Singletary (Kingdom Minded) in this straightforward and practical guide. Singletary structures things in question-and-answer format, and responds to some of the most common concerns she's received in the current economic downturn and others. She takes a deep dive into health care flexible spending accounts, and answers "I like to keep my savings in several different accounts. Is that a good thing?" with a quick reply: just be sure to keep good records. Along the way, Singletary addresses such topics as getting past money-related emotional baggage, managing debt, and helping out family, but perhaps most useful is the thorough discussion of what to do when adequate housing and food are at stake: triaging bills, understanding SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps), navigating COBRA and Medicaid, applying for unemployment, and filing for bankruptcy are covered shame-free. Singletary's plainspoken advice--"put Mama ahead of MasterCard," she writes of prioritizing debt repayment--is a nice change from the "give up your daily latte!" school of financial direction. This will be a balm for readers caught up in financial crisis. (May)