Living free in a million-dollar house

During the trial, prosecutors showed how Stanford took billions of dollars over 20 years from certificates of deposit, or CDs, from his bank on the Caribbean island nation of Antigua. They said he lied to investors from more than 100 countries, telling them their funds were safe.

I have a home assignment for you. Go to the Web site of Stanford Victims Coalition.

Read as much as you can about what happened to the victims in this Ponzi scheme. Watch the videos in which victims tell their stories. Use their experiences as a reminder to check, double-check and then triple-check how and with whom you are investing your money.

“The Revolution”

I’ll be holding court again on the new ABC daytime program

“The Revolution.” Take a look at one of my money court segments.

For an upcoming segment, I’m looking for a couple who can’t agree on how to handle their finances in some way (joint vs. separate accounts, spender vs. saver, etc.). If you want me to help mediate your financial differences, send an e-mail to casting@the-revolution.com, and put “Michelle’s Money Court” in the subject line. You can also e-mail me at colorofmoney@washpost.com. Put “The Revolution” in the subject line.

Are you a snob?

During a campaign speech, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum said that President Obama was a snob for suggesting that people should go to college.

For last week’s Color of Money Question, I asked: “Are we pushing college on people – who could wind up stuck with decades of debt -- because we think it’s the only answer to the high life?”

“Yes, both my wife and I are college snobs,” wrote Troy Farnham of Longview, Wash. “In fact, we are such snobs that we were also the first in our families to not only graduate from college but also earn graduate degrees. Neither of my in-laws had a college degree while they supported my wife as she earned her Bachelor’s degree in education. It was only 10 years ago that my mother-in-law proudly followed both of her daughter’s foot-steps and earned her bachelor’s in education degree.”

Kelsey Reed of Laurel, Md., said, “I think two of the reasons why a college education has become so important in the U.S. are because wages without a degree are not large enough to support a family, and because our middle schools and high schools produce students with very few job skills.”

“It’s not snobbery to be educated,” wrote Carole Paynter of Queens, N.Y. “I think in a global economy, college is an important tool for any person who is looking to enter into the work world. I have always thought that President Obama looked at college education as a way to secure a better future and to make America more competitive in the world.”

Spend Well, Live Rich

I’m very excited about my new PBS special, “Spend Well, Live Rich with Michelle Singletary.” The pledge special is airing this month on various PBS-affiliated stations. Here’s a link for a video preview of the PBS special.

Watch for the program in your local area. Here’s a list of some of the stations carrying the program:

-- In the West Virginia area, the special airs today, Thursday, March 8, at 10 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

-- WETA, serving the greater Washington, D.C. area.

-- KCPT Kansas City Public Television

-- WQPT, Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois

-- WDSE/WRPT Duluth-Superior Minnesota

-- WEDU, Tampa, Florida

-- KCTS 9, Washington State and Canada

-- CPT 12, Colorado

-- Basin PBS, West Texas

Upcoming Events

On Saturday, March 24, at noon, I will be speaking at the Jacksonville (Fla.) Public Library as part of a series of free programs to help people navigate financial issues. Click on this link

to find out more information or call (904) 630-2665 for more information.

Tia Lewis contributed to this e-letter.

You are welcome to e-mail comments and questions to singletarym@washpost.com. Please include your name and hometown; your comments may be used in a future column or newsletter unless otherwise requested.