Search found 123 matches

by TTBG
Tue Jan 23, 2024 4:14 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Does double taxation occur if the amount of dividends are harvested from a taxable account?
Replies: 62
Views: 4255

Re: Does double taxation occur if the amount of dividends are harvested from a taxable account?

To double check with a real life-scenario: So, if my son withdraws from his taxable account to buy an I-Bond, only dividends will be taxed. Correct? I wonder if you're confusing "withdrawal" with selling funds from his taxable account? I'll make up some numbers to try to give an example: Let's say the account has a balance of $10000 in a mutual fund, purchased several years ago for $1000. So the current unrealized gain is $9000. Since the gain is unrealized (it's a 'paper profit'), it is not yet taxable. But you can't withdraw any of this money unless/until you sell the fund. Dec 2023 - the fund pays a dividend of $100. This is taxable income and will be reported on the 2023 1099 statement you get in early 2024. It doesn't matter...
by TTBG
Wed Sep 27, 2023 8:16 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: I need some peer career counseling
Replies: 34
Views: 3414

Re: I need some peer career counseling

I thought I'd just ride it out for the base salary and benefits until they fire me, but it's messing with my mind. So, I'm thinking I'll resign so I can go gracefully and on good terms. I'd like to take about 4 months off then figure out what to do next. You sound pretty clear-headed about what you want to do, i.e., end the relationship with your current employer on good terms, then take some time off to figure out what you want to do next. No job is perfect but some are less perfect than others, and it sounds like this job is no longer a good place for you to work. I like the suggestion that others have made to take a few weeks of vacation (real vacation as in no contact with the office). Take that quiet time to really think things throug...
by TTBG
Sun Sep 24, 2023 6:19 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: My Elderly Parents Can't Resist Answering the Phone
Replies: 127
Views: 38937

Re: My Elderly Parents Can't Resist Answering the Phone

OP, you have my sympathy. With my parents, I was eventually able to convince them to never give out personal information -- I think what helped was printing out newspaper articles and other 'official looking' web articles so they could see it in print -- that seemed more convincing than anything their child tried to lecture them on :-). But even after they stopped answering the 10 calls an hour, the calls continued. Eventually I helped them set up a block on their phone that blocks all calls except for numbers that we put into a whitelist. (I also made sure their doctors, etc, have my number as a backup contact in case they can't reach my parents). Check with whoever is providing their landline to see if you can set up something similar. Or...
by TTBG
Thu Sep 21, 2023 10:57 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help me quell my brother-in-law’s nerves
Replies: 45
Views: 3787

Re: Help me quell my brother-in-law’s nerves

How about Discover Bank? They might be best known for their credit card but they also have decent rates on savings accounts and CDs. In my experience they also have very responsive customer service via phone.
by TTBG
Wed Aug 16, 2023 4:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Help with housing - disabled w/ inheritance
Replies: 31
Views: 3398

Re: Help with housing - disabled w/ inheritance

We are retired without a pension and only hubby’s SS as monthly “income”. We are currently renting a house, and simply showed a copy of our financial statements (with account numbers redacted) and that along with our credit scores (800+) were sufficient for all property management companies we spoke to. +1 I had no trouble finding a rental with very little income. I did the same thing, showed redacted statements that proved I had enough assets to satisfy the landlord. That plus a good credit score was enough. To get some reassurance that you'll be able to find something when the time comes, you could try checking rental ads on craigslist or zillow or wherever. I've seen ads that say something like "X monthly income or proof of assets&...
by TTBG
Tue Aug 15, 2023 2:40 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Fidelity Down? [Website]
Replies: 138
Views: 9554

Re: Fidelity Down?

I've found downdetector.com to be useful for checking if a website is having problems, or if it's just me :D . Right now downdetector is showing many reports of Fidelity being down in the last hour or so.
by TTBG
Sun Aug 06, 2023 3:10 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: contractor issue potentially
Replies: 11
Views: 1785

Re: contractor issue potentially

These sound like fairly minor issues, possibly only cosmetic? And maybe there's only one issue since you're not sure yet if there's anything wrong with the ridge vent. You did the walk-through with the contractor and didn't notice these issues then. If you make a stop payment, his bank might charge him for the returned check or it could cause other hassles for him. That doesn't seem fair when as far as he knows, he finished the job to your satisfaction.
by TTBG
Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:21 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Mayo Clinic Question
Replies: 40
Views: 6731

Re: Mayo Clinic Question

It's very helpful and kind of you to share your knowledge galawdawg. Best wishes to you and to LifeIsGood's daughter-in-law too!
by TTBG
Sat Jun 03, 2023 9:49 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Gnucash best practices/workflows/habits for a newby
Replies: 11
Views: 1926

Re: Gnucash best practices/workflows/habits for a newby

I started using it about 5 years before I retired to track expenses. I had previously used Quicken so initially I set it up with similar categories. My breakdown is pretty detailed - e.g., I have categories for things like clothing, books, etc. But I also have a Miscellaneous category for, well, miscellaneous expenses. In setting up categories, I ask myself "Do I care how much I'm spending on this?" and if not, I just put it into Miscellaneous. I use it several times a month. My typical work flow is: at the end of the month, I log into all my accounts and manually enter every transaction into Gnucash. (This takes a little time but gives me an opportunity to really notice where my money is going :D ). Then, as each statement become...
by TTBG
Mon May 08, 2023 11:00 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Treasury Direct statement issue
Replies: 9
Views: 1384

Re: Treasury Direct statement issue

chemocean wrote: Mon May 08, 2023 8:41 pm Obviously, the mortgage representative doesn't know how Treasury Direct works.
I agree; it sounds like whoever you're dealing with isn't familiar with I-Bonds. The treasurydirect.gov user guide at https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/he ... e/001-010/ explicitly says:
Note: TreasuryDirect does not provide paper savings bonds or paper account statements. If you want a paper copy of your account information, you should use the browser's toolbar to print the relevant pages in your account that show your holdings.
A friend ran into a similar situation when applying for a mortgage and I think all they had to do was write a brief email that referenced the treasurydirect.gov website to explain what an I-bond is.
by TTBG
Wed Apr 19, 2023 8:57 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Ideas for 3 days in Dublin and 3 days in Galway Ireland
Replies: 13
Views: 1378

Re: Ideas for 3 days in Dublin and 3 days in Galway Ireland

If you're interested in Irish history, I'd recommend:

- touring the President's house. When I did it a few years ago, many of the other visitors were Irish citizens so it was interesting to take the tour with them and learn some local history. https://president.ie/en/explore-visit/tours-visits/. I think you'd need to take a lyft/uber to get there.

- touring the Kilmainham gaol https://www.kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie/. If I remember right, it's walkable from the central area of Dublin.

Personally, I didn't think seeing the book of Kells was worth the wait and expense.

You might look into getting a Leap Visitor transit card before you go, to make it easier to get around Dublin.

Enjoy your trip!
by TTBG
Tue Jan 24, 2023 5:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC problem, help please?
Replies: 19
Views: 1604

Re: PC problem, help please?

This might be out in left field, but have you made any recent changes to your display settings, or updated the display driver? I once had a problem with TurboTax showing a white screen instead of the registration page. I found a help topic that suggested changing the display settings and that did the trick. It looks like some people still have the problem: https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes ... 00/2451666

The registration page was a one-time only thing, so it might not be related to your issue but I thought I'd mention it. Good luck finding a solution!
by TTBG
Fri Jan 13, 2023 12:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Neighbor noise issues
Replies: 80
Views: 8718

Re: Neighbor noise issues

I can sympathize! It can be really hard to fall asleep after being jolted awake. It might help if you can distract yourself from concentrating on the noises that woke you up. I've found that my kindle helps alot with this. It's a paperwhite and I set it to the lowest light that I can see, and read something that is interesting but also kind of dull, usually non-fiction about geology or space exploration or something like that. It engages me enough that I can tune out the noise and fall back asleep.

Eventually you might get used to the noise so that it doesn't wake you up as much.
by TTBG
Fri Nov 04, 2022 8:33 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Roth question: 5+ years for the account or a specific contribution ?
Replies: 19
Views: 1522

Re: Roth question: 5+ years for the account or a specific contribution ?

I had the same question as the OP so I appreciate all the responses, and I read the cited articles (thanks Billy C for providing the links!) Regarding the quoted text from https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/26/1.408A-6, that text is from Section A-5, which is talking about when the 10% withdrawal penalty could apply to a non-qualified distribution: (c) The 5-taxable-year period described in this A-5 for ...(emphasis added by me)

Read Sections A-1 and A-2 to understand the rules for a qualified, i.e., nontaxable distribution. These sections state what other posters have already summarized: Once you are 59.5 and had a Roth for 5 years, all withdrawals are qualified.
by TTBG
Mon Oct 03, 2022 3:49 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: If things are so bad, how come the market is up 900 points today?
Replies: 141
Views: 15316

Re: If things are so bad, how come the market is up 900 points today?

livesoft wrote: Mon Oct 03, 2022 2:21 pm What gloomy news? Get out there and embrace all the good things around you!
Here is one for you: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/opin ... po-67.html though a bit nostalgic.
Thank you so much for sharing that!
by TTBG
Mon Nov 11, 2019 11:48 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Los Angeles to San Francisco Roadtrip
Replies: 29
Views: 2800

Re: Los Angeles to San Francisco Roadtrip

+1 to both the Monterey Aquarium and the Madonna Inn. My other suggestions, mostly in northern CA: - Dream Inn in Santa Cruz. - the UCSC Seymour Marine center is sort of a smaller version of the Monterey Aquarium, but it's less crowded and has a cool whale skeleton. - Natural History museum in Santa Cruz (small, so you probably wouldn't spend more than an hour there). - Henry Cowell Park in Felton (has a 1 mile loop thru redwood trees) followed by lunch at the Cowboy grill. - Pinnacles National park has some pretty strenuous hikes but also some short cave hikes (if the caves are open). There's not much else in the area so it would be just a daytime stop on the way to somewhere else. - it's about as touristy as they come, but kids do seem to...
by TTBG
Fri Oct 18, 2019 7:42 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Taking a short career break in silicon valley
Replies: 13
Views: 3862

Re: Taking a short career break in silicon valley

curmudgeon wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2019 12:48 pm My perception is that anything under a year is no big deal. Just the standard round of looking for a new job in SV afterwards. Being out of the loop more that two years can be pretty hazardous to your career.
That's my perception too. I once took about a year off, although I ended up doing some very part-time contracting with my previous employer for 5 or 6 of those months. I think they would have hired me back if I asked, but I didn't ask :D and I found a new job without much trouble. I don't think a year long gap raises many eyebrows, as long as your skills don't get too rusty.
by TTBG
Fri Oct 11, 2019 10:04 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Retirees, when did you start really planning your retirement?
Replies: 53
Views: 6591

Re: Retirees, when did you start really planning your retirement?

I have never thought about retirement until early 50s. The goal of life is not how to prepare for retirement, but how best to use your life before that turning point. Since my early 50s, I saved crazy and achieved FI. I have practiced LBYM all my life. As long as I will do OK in retirement, I will be OK. Again, how you live before retirement trumps how you live during retirement. To me, retirement is an appendix to a book. A splendid appendix does not make a book shine, but it should not blemish it. Nicely put. I also didn't spend much time (or didn't seem to have much time!) to think about retirement until my 50s. But I have also practiced LBYM and, after paying off my student loans and a loan for my first car, I've avoided debt completel...
by TTBG
Sun Sep 08, 2019 12:44 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Advice on selling real estate (Family Property)
Replies: 30
Views: 2749

Re: Advice on selling real estate (Family Property)

WhyNotUs wrote: Sun Sep 08, 2019 9:09 am I would suggest taking a deep breath and rereading your post as if it was written by a stranger. The description that you provided makes it clear that you need to sell. Having your grandparents blessing is comfort.
Words of wisdom there. It's a difficult situation but your choice is either to continue struggling to keep the property or sell it and move forward with your life.
by TTBG
Tue Aug 20, 2019 10:05 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Looking for a computer coding mentor
Replies: 13
Views: 1546

Re: Looking for a computer coding mentor

I think the admissions counselor gave you good advice -- you are likely to get alot more out of the bootcamp if you go into it with some coding experience. I don't use Java or JavaScript but if I needed to learn it, these are some resources I might try. - Take a look at the Khan Academy videos https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming . - Udemy has a low cost intro to Java https://www.udemy.com/course/java-for-beginners-create-10-useful-complete-projects/ . - Coursera also offers many online courses. Two that might be helpful to you: https://www.coursera.org/learn/web-development or https://www.coursera.org/learn/java-programming I haven't ever taken a Udemy course but I've taken several Coursera courses and found them to b...
by TTBG
Sun Jul 07, 2019 9:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Survived the First Week [of retirement, what's next?]
Replies: 70
Views: 11207

Re: Survived the First Week [of retirement, what's next?]

Congratulations on your retirement! It will probably take some time to adjust since it happened earlier than you were expecting. I think the most important thing for you to do next is to concentrate on your health. Get physical therapy and/or start a regular exercise routine (with your doctor's OK). Convince yourself that concentrating on your own physical well-being is a worthwhile project. After all, you need to be healthy in order to contribute fully to your next "job" no matter whether that job is contracting, volunteering, or working around your house.
by TTBG
Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:25 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Not much work at new megacorp job
Replies: 70
Views: 7540

Re: Not much work at new megacorp job

If you did get laid off, what would you put on your resume for the two years you've had this job? It might be harder to pad your resume than it is to pad your monthly report. Can you come up with your own projects that require you to learn something new? I can relate to wanting to relax and enjoy your free time, but if it was me, I would spend at least part of that time doing something that I could talk about in my next interview.
by TTBG
Thu Jan 10, 2019 9:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Travel Companies Similar to "Road Scholar"?
Replies: 21
Views: 4439

Re: Travel Companies Similar to "Road Scholar"?

Another possibility is BackRoads.com. Their trips are focused on activities like hiking or biking but they rate them by level of activity, eg how many miles of walking per day. I took one of their US trips several years ago and liked that they handled all of the logistics. They were well organized and the tour guides were great. Someday I'd like to take one of their international trips ... they're not cheap though.
by TTBG
Thu Jan 03, 2019 12:41 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Autistic sister being targeted by Nigerian scammers
Replies: 84
Views: 8903

Re: Autistic sister being targeted by Nigerian scammers

It can be depressing and humiliating to get scammed, so confronting her with the evidence could just be making her more determined to believe that the relationship is real. Maybe it would help to frame it more as you're concerned that it's an 'unhealthy relationship' since it's causing her stress and making her unhappy. I agree with what other posters have said -- she's a lonely young adult and she needs to find a way to develop adult relationships with people who aren't her parents or sibling. I also agree that your parents need to protect their financial information from the possibility of your sister giving it to the scammers.

What a sad situation! I'm sorry for the stress your family is under.
by TTBG
Fri Dec 07, 2018 2:15 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: California 8 days road trip LA-SFO
Replies: 40
Views: 3132

Re: California 8 days road trip LA-SFO

If you want to see redwoods but can't get a reservation or don't want to deal with the crowds in Muir Woods, try Henry Cowell State Park in Felton (near Santa Cruz). There's an easy 1 mile loop and a small nature center. There are a few restaurants in Felton, all very kid friendly, so it could be a nice stop on your way to San Francisco. Or if you stop in Santa Cruz, the Museum of Natural History on E. Cliff Dr. is another possibility - it's small enough that you can get thru it in an hour but is fun for kids. Be forewarned that the weather in late Dec could be awesome, sunny and cool, but it could also be raining. And in CA a quarter inch of rain can be like a foot of snow anywhere else -- roads close, accidents pile up, and traffic slows ...
by TTBG
Sat Nov 24, 2018 8:19 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Vacation for single parent and 2 teens: Belize or where?
Replies: 29
Views: 3168

Re: Vacation for single parent and 2 teens: Belize or where?

I don't know if it would fit your budget but you might check backroads.com. A friend of mine took her teenagers on a trip thru them and loved it since they handled all of the logistics. It wasn't cheap but she enjoyed travelling with other adults and her kids had fun with the other teens on the trip.
by TTBG
Sun Sep 23, 2018 9:57 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Reverse Mortgages - Pros, Cons
Replies: 55
Views: 5755

Re: Reverse Mortgages - Pros, Cons

Dandy wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 9:02 am ...
I'm not saying the urge to stay in the home is wrong only that it can be. The reverse mortgage option can just reinforce that feeling when finances are tight and defer the move. My feeling is it is better to move while you still have most of your physical and mental abilities and your finances so you can adjust to the new setting easier. It may postpone or avoid a move to institutional care.
...
+1. After seeing several relatives decline in their 'forever homes' when they would have been less isolated and more financially secure by downsizing, I personally wouldn't consider taking out a reverse mortgage since it might make it even harder to make the right decision when it's time to move.
by TTBG
Mon Aug 20, 2018 10:08 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: The more I learn the less I know: general checkup, lots of questions.
Replies: 19
Views: 3082

Re: The more I learn the less I know: general checkup, lots of questions.

I'll comment on #1 Work, worth, and future impact vs lifestyle now. It sounds like you're doing fine here. I'm a software engineer and I raised my kids in the 90s when engineers were pretty much treated like gold, so obviously YMMV, but I worked part-time/flexible hours for about 5 years. I tended to take on the grunt work that no one else wanted (code maintenance instead of development) because it was lower pressure, so my salary fell behind what it could have been. But I kept my skills up and once I went back to full-time, my salary caught up within a year or two, due to promotion + a job change. I think the important thing is to keep your job skills current. Then just enjoy the time with your little one -- it goes by quickly! P.S. Pat yo...
by TTBG
Fri Jul 27, 2018 11:09 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Tips for staying active / injury-free into older age
Replies: 162
Views: 18798

Re: Tips for staying active / injury-free into older age

As others have mentioned, walking, swimming, yoga or some other kind of stretching.

And also - be sure to get enough sleep. Accept the fact that your body needs more recovery time as you age.
by TTBG
Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What to add to the baby registry?
Replies: 20
Views: 2145

Re: What to add to the baby registry?

remomnyc wrote: Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:53 am Craigslist is your friend. Below is what I would want on my registry.
...
Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber
...
This made me smile. I bought this book 30 years ago, when we *really* needed it. I don't remember much about it except that it helped. And we eventually got some sleep :-).
by TTBG
Sun Jul 01, 2018 9:15 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Robert Merton on NewRetirement Podcast
Replies: 46
Views: 6439

Re: Robert Merton on NewRetirement Podcast

I'm an average Jane who luckily stumbled across this forum pretty late in the game, so posts like this are more relevant/helpful to me than the "I only have 5 Million, is that enough?" posts. Thanks for posting it, Horton!
by TTBG
Mon May 07, 2018 9:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Condo Association - who pays for septic repair?
Replies: 19
Views: 2275

Re: Condo Association - who pays for septic repair?

Are you sure the backup was caused by negligence? A common source of backups is a crack in the line that lets roots grow into the pipe.

And a septic backup can be a pretty unpleasant experience; unless there were well established procedures already in place for getting board approval *quickly*, I probably would have called the plumber myself too.
by TTBG
Fri May 04, 2018 9:54 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Does it make sense to rent as a retiree?
Replies: 83
Views: 12549

Re: Does it make sense to rent as a retiree?

It’s a good question and I've also been pondering it. To me one advantage of renting when I retire is that it will encourage me to downsize and get rid of ‘stuff’ while I’m still capable of doing it myself. Also, I’ve had several relatives who I think stayed in the house they owned longer than they should have, even though their quality of life suffered and it caused a bigger burden for their children. I think being a renter might make it easier to accept when it’s time to move closer to the kids or into assisted living, or whatever. Of course the downside is less predictability in housing costs and the possibility of being forced to move when I don’t want to, but for now I’m leaning towards renting for at least the first few years of retir...
by TTBG
Wed Apr 11, 2018 12:25 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Weekly Commuting
Replies: 22
Views: 2920

Re: Weekly Commuting

Use Southwest. You could book 1-way flights a couple of months in advance whenever they have a sale. Then you'll have some flexibility to make last minute changes since Southwest doesn't charge change fees (you'd have to pay the regular ticket price of course which is probably higher at the last minute).

+1 on getting TSA PreCheck.
by TTBG
Sun Apr 08, 2018 6:08 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Thin/light but warm blanket for California winters?
Replies: 16
Views: 1720

Re: Thin/light but warm blanket for California winters?

Try a lightweight down comforter. They breath, they’re warm, but light. We use a mid weight one for our Colorado winters. I lighter weight version maybe just right. We bought ours here http://www.thecompanystore.com/down-comforter?cm_mmc=BING-_-%5BADL%5D%5BNon-Brand%5D%5BUS%5DBedding-Comforters(Exact)-_-Comforters-Down-_-down%20comforters_e%7Ct&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5BADL%5D%20%5BNon-Brand%5D%20%5BUS%5D%20Bedding%20-%20Comforters%20(Exact)&utm_term=down%20comforters&utm_content=Comforters%20-%20Down&kwid=31088670870x5206218801x31799824 I'm in CA and for years have used a light weight Company Store down comforter plus a cotton blanket in the winter. I buy a new comforter every decade or so when...
by TTBG
Sun Apr 08, 2018 2:43 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: “Women-led companies perform 3x better than S&P 500”
Replies: 32
Views: 2963

Re: “Women-led companies perform 3x better than S&P 500”

Pajamas wrote:
"Dear Wife"
Mostly seems to be used by older men and without irony even when discussing feminism.
I haven't noticed that. I've always thought it was pretty standard bogleheads terminology, along with DH (dear husband), DD (dear daughter) and DS (dear son).
by TTBG
Fri Apr 06, 2018 12:04 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any hardworkers here who half-a** at work?
Replies: 27
Views: 4762

Re: Any hardworkers here who half-a** at work?

I don't mean to complain at all and I only mean business but when they ask me why I didn't ask someone else, etc, my tactful answers can only seem positive after so many times.
If you're trying to figure everything out on your own without asking for help, then it's probably taking you longer to get things done. Maybe they want you to ask for help so things get done more quickly. Or maybe they think you don't value the experience/knowledge of the more senior people. It's admirable that you're working so hard to become an expert at your job, so don't get discouraged, but take KlangFool's excellent advice and try to view things from your employer's perspective as well.
by TTBG
Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Family dilemma involving wills/trusts
Replies: 24
Views: 3344

Re: Family dilemma involving wills/trusts

If I understand correctly, the will changed from: Old will: 50/50 between Son #1 and Son #2. If Son #1 dies before Mom, then Son #1's children get his share. If Son #2 dies before Mom, then Son #1 gets 100%. New will: 50/50 between Son #1 and Son #2. If Son #1 dies before Mom, then Son #1's children get his share. If Son #2 dies before Mom, then Son #2's wife gets his share. Family dynamics aside, that doesn't seem like a really outrageous change. In fact nothing changes unless one of the sons dies before Mom, who is 84 with stage 4 cancer. I can totally understand Son #1 feeling angry and frustrated over Son #2's actions. Son #1 is also probably under a lot of stress since he is taking care of Mom. So I agree with others that a short, focu...
by TTBG
Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:13 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help needed with a loan/payoff scenario.
Replies: 16
Views: 1358

Re: Help needed with a loan/payoff scenario.

In the past I've used the calculators at mtgprofessor.com to explore different payment scenarios.
by TTBG
Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:13 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: $399 - New Course - Fire your Financial Advisor - By WhiteCoat Investor - Anyone?
Replies: 121
Views: 16593

Re: $399 - New Course - Fire your Financial Advisor - By WhiteCoat Investor - Anyone?

CollegePrudens wrote:
I cringe at the harsh tone that we (forum members) sometime use on the forum. Obviously not everybody uses a harsh tone. But even so... I fear that it serves to drive away knowledgeable posters away.

I have learned a ton from being here, including from WCI and TFB mentioned upthread. I hope that he/they will not take this thread too hard and continue to be active members of this forum.

PS: I have no affiliation with WCI, have never communicated with him and don't always agree with his take on a situation (but that would be normal for any two people).
+1
Thanks for expressing exactly what I was thinking as I read this thread.
by TTBG
Mon Jan 08, 2018 10:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Life at a crossroad: seeking advice
Replies: 54
Views: 8300

Re: Life at a crossroad: seeking advice

OP, I'm glad you decided to start looking for another job. There are better bosses out there. Just don't jump at the first thing that comes along; you can afford to take your time and try to find a company with a better culture and a more supportive boss. Here are some suggestions that have worked for me when I'm trying to figure out if a potential job is a good fit for me: - I am very suspicious of any company that doesn't have me interview with at least a few of my future co-workers, ie people who report to the same manager I would report to. They should have some say in who gets hired, and I want some idea of who I'll be working with. - When interviewing w/ future co-workers, at the end I try to ask a few questions to get some insight in...
by TTBG
Sun Jan 07, 2018 5:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Recommendations for 72 hours in Dublin, Ireland
Replies: 27
Views: 2412

Re: Recommendations for 72 hours in Dublin, Ireland

I thought the Bog bodies in the National Museum were fascinating.
by TTBG
Thu Dec 21, 2017 10:44 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Christmas Bonus: Etiquette
Replies: 47
Views: 11594

Re: Christmas Bonus: Etiquette

The owner has shown appreciation for the hard work you've done this year. Unfortunately, not all bosses do that :?. I would thank him.
by TTBG
Sat Dec 02, 2017 10:47 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Hard time deciding how much to spend on rent
Replies: 24
Views: 2386

Re: Hard time deciding how much to spend on rent

Sandtrap wrote: You can also cut expenses in other areas to make up for the 30% of net for rent. You can't put a price on happiness and contentment if the new place provides this. +1. Choose your new location carefully -- if you want to expand your social life, e.g., find a neighborhood with a lot of young professionals; if you like to go to the gym, find a neighborhood with a low-cost gym; etc. Paying a third of net income to make a big improvement in the quality of your life doesn't sound excessive to me, it sounds sane :-). Plus you might find that some of your other expenses decrease -- no more commuting expense, lower utilities due to the smaller space, etc. Living in a small space encourages you to not accumulate too much stuff, which...
by TTBG
Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Does it make sense to drop health insurance?
Replies: 198
Views: 13989

Re: Does it make sense to drop health insurance?

My 2 cents on the original question: Is my family at the point where it is rational to forego coverage? I don't think so. My employer's high deductible plan is upwards of $1800/month for family coverage, with the employee paying about $400/month and the employer covering the rest. Deductibles are 2000/4000 and max out-of-pocket is 3500/7000. Coinsurance is 30%. So your plan doesn't seem that different, except that in your case, you have to bear the entire cost. That's why contractors get paid more :-). Another way to look at it is, $1300/month for 3 people is less than $450 per person. You and Wilma can afford that, and do you really want to gamble on Pebble's health for $450 a month? I'm not sure where I'd draw the line on deciding coverag...
by TTBG
Mon Nov 20, 2017 9:29 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: [UPDATED 1/26/2018 ] 55+ Early retirement offer.
Replies: 90
Views: 16295

Re: 55+ Early retirement offer.

Dottie, your post could have been written by me 3 years ago except I was a few years farther away from retirement and my Megacorp wasn't contemplating any early retirement offers. Many days by 10am I would need a walk around the parking lot to decide whether that was the day I was quitting. What worked for me eventually was I found a software job that is not in development, it's more sort of an internal support position. So I'm still writing software, but it's not production software. No agile :-). The pay is less but so is the stress. My current plan is to continue working here until I'm within COBRA distance to Medicare. But if they gave me a buyout offer now, I might just take it. Like you, I would need to cover 2-3 years of insurance af...
by TTBG
Sun Oct 29, 2017 9:55 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Going to SF, Yosemite and Sacramento and NOW PORTLAND
Replies: 49
Views: 4258

Re: Going to SF, Yosemite and Sacramento and NOW PORTLAND

GerryL wrote:
Hope you're planning to fly up to Portland.
I would love to drive down to SoCal for my annual Thanksgiving visit with my brother, but driving over the pass from OR to CA can be very iffy that time of year. If you drive, you will need to be sure to carry snow chains with you. Lots of mountains in Northern California.
+1

I-5 between Redding and Ashland has winding, mountainous road, lots of big rigs, and at least in my experience, consistently bad weather. Not a fun drive!
by TTBG
Fri Oct 27, 2017 9:49 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Going to SF, Yosemite and Sacramento and NOW PORTLAND
Replies: 49
Views: 4258

Re: Going to SF, Yosemite and Sacramento and NOW PORTLAND

Henry Cowell is an alternative to Big Basin for seeing Redwoods. If you go in the main entrance, there is an easy one mile loop thru some second growth redwoods as well as some longer hikes. The Fall Creek section is about a mile away and is a beautiful place to take a 2 or 3 hour hike. In any of the coastal CA parks, be sure to stay on the trail to avoid poison oak. Yosemite is amazing but the best hikes from the Valley lead up and you might be limited by snow or ice at higher elevations. I'd still recommend spending a night or two there even if you never leave the Valley. I've only been to Alcatraz once but I thought the tour was very interesting and well done (you wear headphones that narrate as you walk around). Plus you get a ferry rid...
by TTBG
Tue Sep 19, 2017 9:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Help With Rental Property Decision
Replies: 30
Views: 2922

Re: Help With Rental Property Decision

Personally, I would not put another 100K into the condo. You would be moving 100K from the safety of a CD into a much riskier real estate investment; how does that change your overall investment allocation? I am pretty risk averse, so I wouldn't make such a big change in my allocation even if I expected/hoped it was temporary -- stuff happens.

Maybe take 10K out of the CD when it matures and use that to pay expenses until you can sell it?