About the column
Two sides of every question, one plan.
The editor
Max Deitz
“M. Deitz” is the byline mark of Max Deitz, who edits Kitchen-Table Money and writes most of the talks. The column exists because the hardest part of shared money is rarely the arithmetic — it’s finding a way to bring it up that doesn’t start an argument.
Contributor
Leah Brandt
Leah Brandt writes the talks that lean on paperwork: insurance, health plans, homes and taxes — the topics where the forms decide more than the feelings do.
How a talk comes together
- 1
Start with two fair questions
Every talk opens with the question one partner asks and the question the other asks back. Both are written as if the person asking is reasonable, because usually they are.
- 2
Look up the rules, not the opinions
Where a talk depends on a rule — a tax filing status, a benefit enrollment window, how a deposit is insured — we name the public source (the IRS, the FDIC, the CFPB, the Department of Labor, HealthCare.gov) so you can check the current version yourself.
- 3
Land on one plan
We don't pick a winner. The plan is the version both people can sign, plus a short table of who does what and when.
What to expect from us
- The couples are composites. The two voices in each talk are built from common questions, with details changed. They are not real people, and nothing here is a reader endorsement.
- This is general information. Max Deitz and Leah Brandt are writers, not professionals hired to look at your finances. For decisions with legal or tax weight, talk to someone who can see your whole picture.
- How the site is paid for. The Table Letter may include offers and promotions from third-party partners, as described in our Privacy Policy. The talks themselves carry no partner links.
Questions or corrections: hello@mdeitz.com. Published by M. Deitz Media.