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Thanks for all the replies and good information. Looks like I'll contact Vanguard mid- next year to set up an automatic RMD pull for mid-December and every year thereafter.

Thanks, I guess it makes good sense to pull the first RMD before the end of 2014, which is the year I turn 70 1/2. Then take them every year before December 31 for that tax year. So: My distributions would be as follow: Year 2013 - (not required to be taken) 2014 - by 12/31/2014 2015 - by 12/31/2015...

I turn 70 the 9th October this year (2013). Am I correct in the following strategy for taking my RMD from my non-Roth IRA? I turn 70 1/2 on April 9, 2014. How I read the IRS rule (using various RMD calculators) is that I do not have to take my first RMD until April 1 the year after I turn 70 1/2. Th...

Cheese_breath: Yes, it's Medicare's error, no doubt about that. Three page statement from one doctor/claim. Grandpaboys: I was hoping to not have to go through any lengthy appeals process because of the complications, but will do so if this gets near the deadline. Reimbursing the Medigap insurance t...

I received a letter from my Medicare supplemental insurance company a few weeks ago stating that Medicare over applied $20.67 to my deductible in the first quarter of this year. I had my annual physical and a few other tests done between January and March 2013. The insurance company said I should ca...

I've never had any problem seeing a Medicare provider in Michigan, but I've heard there are problems in Texas. I guess it depends on where you live. Five years on Medicare and Medigap Plan F. Both my wife and I have NOT had ANY problems seeing ANY specialist in Texas. Glad we have one of the best, ...

Page plus has an $80 per year plan with 2000 minutes. Fill it once per year. Can be bought from Kitty Wireless or other Page Plus vendors. You can buy a simple smart phone from Page Plus : http://www.pagepluscellular.com/plans/ (click on the "phones" tab).

Has anyone looked into the number of Web Bill Payment Services that "lost" the mailed checks? I just found out that my tax bill (thousands of $) was "lost in the mail" from the bill payment service. They took the money out of my account months ago. I paid the penalties and reque...

I'm 39 and my wife is 35. My priorities: 1. Taxes 2. Mortgage 3. Student loan (private) 4. Student loan (federal) 5. Insurance – all kinds 6. Simple IRA 7. Taxable account 8. Taxable acct – earmarked for possible new(er) house 9. Inevitable next repair for wife’s SUV we were advised not purchase in...

What you did for maintenance due=ring the first 100,000, just repeat for the next 100,000. When you get to 200,000, have a qualified shop look at the ball joints, struts, and other suspension components which are NOT routine maintenance items. By 200,000, you will also have deteriorating rubber and ...

That article, and several other similar pieces of Money's advice, are the main reason I dropped my subscription.

Send her to The Woodlands, Texas and she will fit in just fine.....you should stay in Philly...

I met my current wife in a bar. She was working at a job that was lousier than mine at the time. We had both been through lengthy and costly divorces. At the time, we both had nothing of value, and plenty of it. I had alimony payments and two daughters living with me. She had three kids, one in jail...

From the look of their website, I just can't make myself go beyond it. "We do tons of research on where to invest your money. Combine that with our powerful technology and you've got complete access to investing like a pro. All you have to do is decide how much you want to put toward our two di...

Why does the RDX require premium? I got behind one yesterday and it looked pretty neat, and said "Turbo" on the back. Does it run a turbocharged engine? BTW, I'm not as rational about gas price - if I can save 10 cents a gallon on fuel when I'm filling up it feels like I just won the lott...

I am currently 69. I was an active long distance runner between 30 and 40 years of age and ran a few marathons back east. I was traveling a lot in business near 40 and weight ran up from a lean 147 to 185+ (I'm 5'11"), so I stopped running so much and switched to golf and competitive softball. ...

This might be a little over the top for a new home buyer, but, I would add an air compressor to that list. I have had one for 30+ years and it is indispensable when needing to top off car and bicycle tires, clean the workshop, paint stuff, etc. You can get a decent 115 volt one at Harbor Freight on...

Reviving this subject with hopes of more great advice... I currently have a contract with Verizon for 300 minutes and $40/month (their cheapest plan.) I don't need 300 minutes/month and don't use my phone with a data plan, so am considering Page Plus (thanks to the advice on this forum.) It's not c...

This might be a little over the top for a new home buyer, but, I would add an air compressor to that list. I have had one for 30+ years and it is indispensable when needing to top off car and bicycle tires, clean the workshop, paint stuff, etc. You can get a decent 115 volt one at Harbor Freight on ...

Tires are wear items that all cars will eventually need (if you drive them). If you like the car, 140K miles is about 1/2 life on a Honda with proper ongoing care. New cars smell nice for a while, then they are used cars. What "new" safety features is your 2001 lacking that you need? Maybe...

To the OP: Take a look at the Equinox with the 4 cylinder, 182 HP engine which is rated at 25 - 32 MPG and well equipped. We are considering one or a new style Ford Escape Ecoboost (turbo 4 cylinder). I think the Ford Explorer also comes with the 4-cyl turbo. I wonder how that engine does in the Ex...

Not even a Suburban has a cargo floor long enough to sleep on with 2d row seats up and not aware that Suburban has fold-flat 2d row seats. So the best you may be able to hope for are some comfortable reclining front seats. Not aware of any vehicle that has fold-flat front seats to match up with 2d ...

livesoft wrote:

aja8888 wrote:I believe the GLK is near $100K?

You have been fooled. Try under $38,000.

Ah, correct. Guess I don't know my MB's . The GL is the one around $75K+

I would test drive a Mercedes GLK, Mercedes ML, a Porsche Cayenne, a Lexus RX, an Acura MDX. There are others, but except for BMWs these are the most common SUVs that I see nowadays. I don't know where you live, but around here we see Chevrolet Equinox's, Ford Escapes, CRV's, Subaru Outback's, Kia'...

Truecar.com made my last new car purchase extremely painless. They do all the research for you, and dealers give you guaranteed prices (usually just a few hundred above what the dealer actually pays). Trucar receives compensation from car dealers for referrals. Read the "Fighting Chance" ...

I'm surprised no one mentioned fuel treatment for keeping gasoline fresh for long periods of time:

http://www.goldeagle.com/brands/stabil/

Maybe your sister will get screwed over by her new flame to perpetuate the bad deals.

There is a difference in purchasing a "tax lien" and a "property at a court house steps sale". Tax lien purchases can lead to future ownership but Court house step sales are generally final. I think OP may be embarking on a "final" purchase but some of the information ...

If the County forecloses on the lot and you buy it on the courthouse steps for back taxes plus++, I presume you will get a clear deed. I would also believe if there are any unpaid mortgages on the land that they would be in the deed records.

A good, entertaining move to watch before sending a kid off to college is Animal House with John Belushi.

(of course, that's not representative of college life these days!)

It sounds like you have your mind set on buying a car for the boy, and that's good for him and the economy. We have put three kids through Texas colleges (A&M, Sam Houston (2)), and have a granddaughter currently enrolled as a freshman in Sam. The first three did not need (or want) a car while l...

In terms of retained records, when was the last time you were asked to reproduce one? I'm 63 years old and have never had to do so. If you want to keep tax returns forever, be my guest, but it is most unlikely that anyone will ever ask to see them. As for financial, I don't think Vanguard (or Fidel...

First of all, I won't prepay for car repairs I may never need. :wink: Second, these "warranties" are really insurance products. If the dealer sells it (like they push), they make a ton on it. :!: Third, buy one from an insurance company after your manufacturer's warranty runs out. :dollar

However, they didn't like the IE interface and wanted to download AOL 9.6 instead. Wow, I had no idea AOL software was being made after 2000 or so! My 72 year old brother-in-law is the other person in the modern world still using AOL. I tried many times to wean him off it but he can't handle change...

I've been a Windows guy since day one. At home we are running one XP desktop (my hardware build), one Win 7 Dell (wife's desktop). one Win 7 laptop (mine), one Asus Transformer (Android) and have two Android smartphones. At work, I have Win 7 desktop. After reading the experience Lady Geek had on Wi...

rec7 wrote:How old were the most of you when you noticed this? 30's? 40's?

I noticed it around 65 years old, the opposite sex may have noticed it much sooner.....especially the younger ones. I actually think I am now totally invisible to females under 30.

22twain, Another reason that those of us who love Amazon, LOVE Amazon. I'm not thrilled with Amazon at the moment. I ordered something Sunday that showed as "ships in 1 to 2 weeks" and was $50 cheaper than all other retailers. My status page now says it will ship around January 7th. The p...

2000 VW Jetta diesel - just broken in at 208,000 - I drive it 30,000 miles a year @ 46 MPG. 2006 Cadillac CTS - 29,000 miles - fun luxury car - wife is retired and just putters around town with it. 2002 Dodge SLT pick up - handy vehicle that drinks gasoline like a drunken sailor on shore leave :shar...

I have a verizon phone - I put $100 on and it doesn't require refill for a year. It costs $.15 a min and less for text. has camera, etc spouse has virgin mobile which is inexpensive but he can't use it in our mountain cabin. that's the only reason I have verizon. It used to be Alltel and verizon bo...

I did a 1031 exchange in Ca many years ago. Went from a townhouse to a 3 bedroom house (both rental). You must use an "accommodater" to handle the transaction and it is best to have both ends of the deal solidified before entering into a contract with the intermediary. All this does is all...

I love Wells Fargo. Well, to be clear, I only love one of their branches, the rest suck. But I go in two or three times a week to deposit a check, get some cash, pay a bill, etc. I don't drink, so I can't hang out at the bar - so I hang out at the bank. They have brownies on Fridays. Neither my spo...

More info: I had tried holding mail in my home state , and having it delivered to me when I returned, but three times in a row, the mail man gave me someone else's mail mixed in with mine, always the same person. It was like he took all his "hold mail" people and sent all the mail to one ...

BigFoot48 wrote:I appreciate any crumbs they throw our way, and $42 more a month will pay the water bill.

Based on my last water bill, I have a shortfall of $3 with the increase, but it could be more when the Part B increase is out.

The house looks like a burden (and a source of funds) from a financial standpoint. Why not see if they will agree to sell it and use the proceeds and cost savings to rent an apartment or condo? Why would you want to transfer the ownership of the house to you and/or your sister? Any Long Term Care in...

How do you deposit a physical check at an online bank? You have to mail it in to them. In many online banks these days, you can also deposit using a smartphone app & camera, or PC & scanner. Does Ally have a limit on smartphone scanned checks? Wells Fargo has a daily and monthly limit, belo...

We are using this RCA antenna that is mounted on the back of our house and picking up about 30 channels. HD reception is awesome as the OTA signal is not compressed like it is on the cable network. We are currently direct into one TV, but will expand to others in the house later. http://www.amazon.c...

I have been with Ally for well over a year or two. I have 2.4% CD's with them (that was a good idea! ), my checking account, I up load scanned checks for deposit, have a direct deposit, etc. We even used them on a wire transfer. Excellent service!

I think Nebuluos is a troll.....

linuxuser wrote:PagePlus is a Verizon MNO.

Ditto, we have three phones on PP for under $100/month total (way under - $12/$12/$30).

Reviving post. I am now in need of a new cell phone and provider at the lowest cost. Will only use the phone for emergency and occasional short calls. Is there anything new on the market since this thread originated last winter? Thanks I don't see how you can get something that is that much cheaper...