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Kenkat

Yes. I have targeted retirement in 2 years (@ 59) but tell people my retirement date is either Monday or five years from now, depending on the day. Reasons to retire now are that I have plenty of money according to most retirement planner software, work is tiring sometimes and I’m not getting any yo...

Kenkat

All of the local charity / thrift stores around us sell men’s suits - St. Vincent de Paul, Salvation Army, Goodwill

Kenkat

We're in Pennsylvania. Check out the Affordable Care Act. ACA plans are total trash. The best choice was $1.5k a month in premiums with an $18,000 annual deductible. What a joke. I doubt if you are taking into account the substantial subsidies they would receive at an income level of $50k. Premiums...

Kenkat

ACA is probably going to be the most affordable insurance option, but you can compare to Cobra. I would definitely look into Social Security Disability at his age and current medical issues. Qualification requirements tend to be less for older working adults who have paid into the system for many ye...

Kenkat

I am the Treasurer of a small neighborhood HOA. Whenever a property is sold in our neighborhood, the closing agent will contact me and ask me to provide a statement of account to indicate if any funds are due. This is a pre-close requirement; the closing is not in good order without this. Our HOA re...

Kenkat

Most financial institutions have implemented anti-fraud measures that will catch and stop wire of funds where the account owner does match - for example:

https://www.giact.com/

Kenkat

Do my brother and I both have to choose the same option when we transfer the accounts? Not sure I saw this question answered above, but once the accounts are split, you and your brother can follow different withdraw plans as each sees fit. You will each receive 50% of the proceeds in an IRA titled ...

Kenkat

What I found was that from 1900-2021 the real return of the S&P 500 is 6.77% while from 1921-2021 it's 7.71% after inflation. In my case all investments are Roth so taxes don't come into account, only inflation. My asset allocation is going to be 90/10 for the long run. Yup, it’s been a heck of...

Kenkat

At some point, your kid is probably going to fall off the top of that slide anyway, so I am not overly concerned with the bridge. One thing we did make a point of is to surround the entire swing set with wood “playground chips” 2-3 inches thick to cushion any falls that inevitably occur. You can als...

Kenkat

You can buy inline surge protectors - essentially a single plug surge protector and see if that makes a difference. They are only around $10 or less. I have all my major appliances run through these. While it is possible that the fan is bad, GFCI outlets can also go bad. If there is another one else...

Kenkat

I’d spend the $2000 so you know for sure what you are or are not dealing with going forward.

Kenkat

A good measure is an inch of water a week, either provided by nature or you. Water once a week if you didn’t get sufficient rain; watering deeply but less frequently is better for plants as it encourages deeper root growth. After they get established more, it becomes less important as they can bette...

Kenkat

Ignore if I am stating something that you already know, but if your disability payments are from a private policy that you paid for with after tax dollars, the payments are not taxable. If it is employer paid disability coverage, they are taxable.

Kenkat

I use the app. It shows you a week of history including current day. You can also check a box next to each mail piece to indicate if something wasn’t delivered. I can use the website for this I suppose but I like the convenience of the app personally. The same functionality exists on the website. I...

Kenkat

I use the app. It shows you a week of history including current day. You can also check a box next to each mail piece to indicate if something wasn’t delivered. I can use the website for this I suppose but I like the convenience of the app personally.

Kenkat

The cost to build can vary quite a bit depending on quality of construction. A common metric used is cost per square foot. Since you know the square footage, you (or the architect) can probably estimate a range of cost but the final cost will depend on the specifics of how the addition is built and ...

Kenkat

Thanks to all for such good advice. Sounds like I have a lot of work to do. My collection is from my grandmother and father. Both worked in retail for many years and would put aside coins, currency they found interesting. None of the collection is graded. Sounds like I have a project to mix in with...

Kenkat

You don’t really give any criteria for what you’d consider best beyond gas mileage or reliability, but general good choices would be Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. If you really want to splurge, move up to an Accord or Camry.

Kenkat

I think the above posts illustrate that there can be different types of collections. If the collection is mostly loose aka raw common date coins, either in books/albums or cardboard type 2x2 holders, prudent’s advice is good. What you’ve got to watch for is that there are not rare coins mixed in. Fo...

Kenkat

I am the Treasurer of our small HOA - 19 houses. Over the years I have been Treasurer - 15+ - nobody is screaming for the position :happy - there’s been maybe three situations that were a bit of a pain. Otherwise, it’s a pretty easy job. We are insured and have a landscaping company mow and maintain...

Kenkat

I don’t do a percent. I typically have 3 months expenses in cash account which I do not include in my asset allocation. That’s grown now to over a year for various reasons - I will have to decide what to do with that at some point. I then have another 3 months or so in a tax exempt bond fund and the...

Kenkat

It does sound very strange that daughter / wife of seasoned insurance agent did not know how to fill out the beneficiary form unless they never talk to each other about things. I mean, you think daughter would check that with expert husband - so I understand your concern. To paint this in the worst ...

Kenkat

I believe because you are disabled, you can use the single life distribution tables for taking RMDs over your remaining lifetime (i.e., the “stretch IRA” under the old rules). That said, I believe you have to start those RMDs in 2021; there is no 10 year delay if using the single life distribution m...

Kenkat

My guess is that your battery light is on because the alternator is failing. So I think you need to replace that. I think they are recommending the belt because you might as well replace it since you are removing the alternator (which runs off the belt) anyway. Even if you are going to sell it, it’s...

Kenkat

EIP1 - Received payment via DD. EIP2 - Received a check in the mail. EIP3 - Haven't received yet, though it was scheduled to have gone out by mail eight days ago. Anybody else in a similar position? We scheduled your payment to be mailed on March 26, 2021 to the address we have on file for you. I g...

Kenkat

When you say you’ve been monitoring your balances for a long time, how long is long? I’ve experienced two 20+% drops in my investing lifetime - one in 2002 and one in 2008. There will probably be another one but nobody knows when or even for sure that this will happen. But yes, any future “gains” yo...

Kenkat

It’s a speed rating - your car must be rated to be capable of a top speed that exceeds the limit of the H rating. A quick Google shows that Pirelli makes the tire you want in a V rating but not for the specific size you need (the 20in. must be a newer size).

Kenkat

I have a son with high functioning autism. When they refer to autism as a “spectrum”, it is because it, and the impact on someone, is different for each individual. There are specific strengths and weaknesses for each person. In addition, many also will struggle with co-conditions such as anxiety or...

Kenkat

And I think we all agree the pandemic of 2020 was more disruptive and destructive to the US economy than the sub-prime crisis. We don’t all agree. I don’t. And I’d say the market as a whole doesn’t either or we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Now you may be right and it will turn out that the...

Kenkat

I rebalanced from stocks to bonds at some point in late 2020 to get back to my baseline 70/30 asset allocation. I moved all of my money in Total Bond Market Index in my 401k to the Guaranteed Account available that is paying 3%. I still have money in Total Bond in my IRA account. I have been buildin...

Kenkat

I would go for simplification here. I would cash 10 savings bonds now, in 2021, and then 10 more in 2022 and 2023. Gift the proceeds to the 3 children as they are cashed. This spreads the taxable interest out across three years for mom, and avoids dealing with these all at once in 2023 when they mat...

Kenkat

I would strongly hesitate to start torquing multiple wrenches on it as you'll FUBAR something else and create a bigger problem. If you torque something hard enough, it is possible to twist the copper fitting right off of the pipe in the wall. Then you will have to call a plumber to cut through the ...

Kenkat

Again, it is all relative. Consider two money market funds; one pays 0.01% per annum, the second 0.05% per annum. The second fund pays FIVE TIMES as much interest as the first. Greatly superior, right? Or, on a $100,000 balance, the difference is $40 per year. That’s forty bucks. Significantly bette...

Kenkat

I looked at the PBGC page and yes, it is more than the pennies on the dollar statement I made, but it also depends on the size of the pension being expected. If a $80K a year pension was expected at age 62, if PBGC is taking over, odds are very slim that you approach that amount. I appreciate the r...

Kenkat

I would file a dispute through Paypal’s process as that is who the payment was initially run through. You have attempted to work things out with the seller and haven’t been successful, so filing a dispute and claim through Paypal is the next step. Items can be damaged in shipment and it is not alway...

Kenkat

Pick a retirement/future savings %.... ...THEN SPEND THE REST. This is what we did. I put together a plan in 1998, projected a number I wanted to get to at a certain age and a savings percent to get there and then monitored and adjusted. It’s been an imprecise ride but it’s been good enough. The re...

Kenkat

I am surprised by the 82% number as well. From a financial perspective, we’ve also ended up better off overall. I probably save $400-500 a month working from home and we’ve been staying home a lot more so not spending on travel, dining, etc. I am well aware of how fortunate we are to be able to say ...

Kenkat

It dropped by close to 20% in the 2008-2009 financial crisis. It might be too aggressive but only you can say for sure. I can say that in over 30 years of investing, I’ve never really needed to tap my emergency fund, so you need to weigh likelihood vs. opportunity for higher returns.

Kenkat

These discussions always come down to a judgement call around relative safety. For example, looking at the 2017 data, you are FIVE TIMES more likely to die in a BMW 3 Series (42 deaths out of a million miles driven) than a Honda Odyssey (8 deaths). Five times! Anyone driving a BMW 3 Series is making...

Kenkat

An investor who "took the deal" and put $10,000 into EE Bonds per year for the next twenty years, would have a bond ladder that guaranteed a 3.53% return on each annual investment, with a guaranteed YTM after year 12 of each rung of that bond ladder that would be over 8% and outcompete al...

Kenkat

Years 12-20 of an EE Bond have a Yield to Maturity over 8.0% guaranteed by the US Treasury. An investor who "took the deal" and put $10,000 into EE Bonds per year for the next twenty years, would have a bond ladder that guaranteed a 3.53% return on each annual investment, with a guarantee...

Kenkat

Great info, thanks. I did not know the PPS of the high yield bond fund will decrease over time. Seems crazy to me but that's why I'm here, to learn from people smarter than me. Based on what you and sycamore said, I'm not interested in that. Portfoliovisualizer.com was exactly what I was looking fo...

Kenkat

I’d reach out. I would want someone to do the same for me.

Kenkat

You have picked a very specific timeframe and a very specific target return. Any reasonable answer will mean you’re going to need some equities which aren’t “safe” as I would define “safe”. And therefore any return might end up at 7% or it might end up at 0% - you just don’t know. I have tracked my ...

Kenkat

The increased child tax credits this year from the new American Rescue Plan Act are fully refundable, so you don't need a tax liability to claim the full amount of the credit. This means any traditional 401k tax deferral would still give you a deduction at your marginal tax rate. Can you explain mo...

Kenkat

100% yes on a half bath at a minimum; if you already have the rough-ins, it should be reasonable cost.

Kenkat

Yes Blue Rhino fills to 15lbs. I can get my tanks filled for $10 at my local Ace Hardware; I have two (grill and patio heater) so always have one I can swap out if needed. You pay a premium for convenience with Blue Rhino which is fine if that’s what works for you.

Kenkat

If you look at Nisiprius’ chart between 2008-2010, you can see the basic difference between the two funds. The higher weighting of corporates in the Intermediate Term Bond fund helps it along when the economy is doing well. When the winds turn bad, the higher weight of the treasuries in Total Bond I...

Kenkat

A full service gas/fuel supplier will dispose of them for you for a small fee. $10 or so as I remember it.

Kenkat

These are not both high yield bond funds. The Long Term Investment Grade fund is going to expose you more to interest rate fluctuations. The reason you saw capital gains in 2020 was because interest rates fell. There have been capital losses in 2021 due to rising rates. This fund would be a relative...

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