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I have subscribed to the NYT for 25 years, and only recently went to digital subscription only due to the delivery cost for the physical paper. I read it on my phone, Nexus, or laptop daily.

tbr: I will call the 800 number and report back, thanks.
Less: I have no idea. I had a large refund for 2011 and filed form 8888 then as well and had no issues (and no delay with my refund).

tbr: My situation was nearly identical to yours. I filed by mail my return in mid-February, had a large refund due, filed form 8888 for the I-Bond request, and received a letter from the IRS that my return was being delayed for review. The large refund of around the same amount as yours no doubt cau...

Atlanta: I advocated having your daughter live on campus for the experiences that includes, which is a large part of the full college experience beyond just the academics, but based on a critical condition: if you felt comfortable that you could afford it even with the loans. Having reviewed so many...

I disagree with the above. Assuming that with scholarships and loans you can afford tuition and housing, I think college students are much better off not living at home (if at all financially possible). College is not only about academics, but also about growing as a person and I think living on you...

JW.....my guess (I do not know) is that the settlement approval was appealed by a class member who objected to the settlement, and that has been the cause of the delay. Your criticism that the website lacks information post final approval is well founded, but there is a practical reason: the judge w...

JW....the scenario you posted about is rare. Most class action settlements will ensure a minimum amount so that class members are not out of pocket (in stamp cost or otherwise) when they file a claim. There are limited exceptions and abuses, and your circumstance may have been one of them. Livesoft....

Here is an example of a settlement that might not be taxable: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4345.pdf As I noted above (an area I am much more familiar with--though not as an accountant), if your lawsuit concerned a stock and you still own the stock, the settlement might be an adjustment to your ba...

Here's an answer you will not like: hire an accountant, pay him/her a reasonable fee, and ask your question with details. Why? Well, your premise may be incorrect. Some settlements, depending on the nature of the claim, are not taxable. Some settlements, depending on the nature of the claim, may be ...

I appreciate the thoughts all. Thanks.

Thanks livesoft and James. I am pretty much buy and hold. I have a certain amount I "trade" for fun, (which continues to provide further proof that low cost fully diversified ETFs are the smarter play) but it generates no more than 4-6 sales/buys per year. What got me thinking about the su...

We have accounts at Fidelity, TD, E-Trade, and Schwab. Why? Well, primarily because we either received free miles or free cash for opening accounts and maintaining a healthy balance. Secondarily, when the market dropped in 2007-2008, we were a little nervous about having large balances in a single b...

Noob...thanks for the Bodie referral. I will add his writings to my reading list. As I suggested above, for a period of time before we were aware of the annual limit per person, starting in 2000, we invested over the annual limit (and subsequently resolved the issue with the IRS), but not in the num...

Noob.....such as my reasonably substantial I-Bonds holdings as a start...?

nedsaid: If you had $24 million in cash in various banks, would you really need to worry about interest income? Couldn't you literally take the cash, line the hundreds up in your closet, and use that to pay living expenses for the rest of your life? Second, we are currently earning 2% or more on var...

Pretty much what Yanks suggested above as well (with which I agree generally) but what about medical insurance premiums until Medicare kicks in? And what about the likely spread between inflation eating into purchasing power vs what interest I will be earning?

Ned...Bear...and Watty....thanks for thoughtful responses, which, respectfully, miss the point of the post. I am NOT seeking advice (not in this post anyway) on an appropriate asset allocation, given the current value of my assets, my risk tolerance, and my perceived annual needs. Look at my inquiry...

Watty...your point concerning possible expenditure changes later in life is well taken but why MUST I invest in alternatives to cash? Maybe what you are saying is that my number might need to be higher than $5 million, going on some reasonable assumptions above. Maybe the number then is $7 million? ...

Thanks for the helpful responses. For those of you suggesting a non all cash AA, I am not in that position. As I indicated in my hypothetical, I would liquidate (or consider doind so if I was confident that I had the number to have won the game) and pay tax on any gains. But the question helps me an...

I goofed...I skipped September. I think this is accurate intuitively (agreeing with Rob):

March: (100-x-y)/2
June: 100-x
Sep: (100-x-y)/2
Dec: 100

March: 100-x-y
June: 100-x
December: 100

Thanks for the responses. Yanks, I tend to agree with your assessment--other than medical insurance. 120K/year for 40 years is around $5 million. I have a number of 5 year CDs earning 2% which approximates current inflation. But our 120K/year expenditure does NOT include medical insurance expense. H...

Fairly new to the Forum and have been reading quite a bit. I very much like the concept of "if you've won the game, why keep playing". So, here is my question: assume a married couple both 53 (no debt, house paid in full, 529 fully funded for kids' college and post-grad degrees), how much ...

Philly, when spouse and I filed our 2011 returns, we tried to each receive $5,000 in I-Bonds from our refund. The regs seemed to suggest you could each obtain $5,000 by social security number, but the form filed with the return did not allow it. I contacted the IRS, and I am not confident I received...

Spouse and I each year (this year I cannot) make the contribution in February and complete the paperwork the same day for the backdoor conversion with Schwab, which is where we have our IRA nd Roth. Never a problem....deposit clears the next day and Schwab transfers to Roth. No income for the one da...

I did review the IRS publication and do not see my questions answered, particularly 1&2....I suspect the answer to 3 is "no".

I cannot find the answer to these questions despite my search efforts. Anyone know the answers (and have authority for the answers) Three questions for two of my college students: (1) Daughter S is a full time college sophomore and this summer will be studying abroad and receive probably 6 credit ho...

Best Picture: Argo
Best Director: Spielberg
Best Actor: Daniel Day
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway
Best Supporting Actor: DeNiro

Ziplining
River tour where you see monkeys and alligators
Forest in the cloud tour

26.5% not including social security, medicare, or state tax.

No other comments or suggestions?

Thanks for the EE suggestion, but I am not happy with the current yield and unwilling to wait 20 years, or force myself to wait that long, for the guaranteed return.

I want to invest a portion on what otherwise would be considered my bond side of my AA and seeking suggestions. Basically what I want is a product that resembles I-Bonds. (Married couple here and have already maxed out on I_Bonds and will also get the $5,000 paper limit from tax refund) I want the s...

Thanks for the inquiry Gr8t, but the Vanguard Total Stock (domestic and international) purchases are the only recent ones. The other stock and ETFs have been purchased over a 13 year period and therefore any sales would generate capital gains taxes. I recognize the portfolio contains some overlap, p...

I have been lurking a few months and wanted to thank all members, and in particular the ones who post many times a day. Your insights and comments on a far range of finance topics are so very much appreciated by so many who probably never comment at all. You are to be commended. I have read a great ...