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[Merged into this thread, see my post below. --admin LadyGeek] I received a letter yesterday stating that as of August 3, or shortly thereafter, new contributions, rollovers and transfers to the TIAA Traditional Annuity in IRAs will no longer have a guaranteed minimum rate of 3%. The rate will be b...

If you're a public school teacher, you may be covered through your retirement system. That's the case in California.

I can take my contributions with me, which is currently earning 4% interest. I do lose the employer contributions though. Should you become vested and decide to leave, see whether you can stay in the system and draw the pension when you reach retirement age. It won't be as large a pension as if you...

Interesting discussion - inspired me to pull out my paperwork. I'm 15 years older than my wife. There isn't longevity (past 65-70) in her family, but there is in mine. My mother is 96. The factors for survivor benefits on my pension, customized for our ages, are: 50% .9328 75% .9002 100% .8625 I'm ...

Interesting discussion - inspired me to pull out my paperwork. I'm 15 years older than my wife. There isn't longevity (past 65-70) in her family, but there is in mine. My mother is 96. The factors for survivor benefits on my pension, customized for our ages, are: 50% .9328 75% .9002 100% .8625 I'm s...

Try Amarin Thai in Hillcrest - the drunken noodles are great. Also, The 3rd Corner is a combination wine shop/restaurant. If you want to have the wine with your meal, there's a $5 corkage. The food is good. Prado in Balboa Park is very nice for lunch. Otherwise, I'm not a big fan of San Diego. The z...

For educators, I recommend http://www.ussmag.com/ - been using them for years. No drama.

Thanks. Very helpful. I wouldn't be compromising my emergency fund and am allergic to credit card balances.

[quote="greenbldg"](I rented the Tesla and drove to Half Moon Bay)

Nice shot of Devil's Slide.

I've been deferring the maximum to both my 403(b) and 457(b) for the past three years, but it looks like I'll need more income in the coming months. Both the 403(b) and 457(b) are excellent, low-cost plans. Should I: a) continue to defer the maximum and pay expenses from taxable savings or b) cut ba...

Yikes! Opposite answers.

TurboTax has me concerned that I've made a mistake. My wife was an employee through August and was a consultant thereafter. She made her 2012 maximum (she's under 50) $5,000 Roth IRA contribution. She opened up a SEP-IRA with Vanguard in December and contributed $1,000. Is it okay to have done both ...

The NAD receivers from that era had amazingly clean sound, great midrange, and were very conservatively rated in terms of power. I have a NAD 7220 (great) and 705 (pretty good), though I switched years back to a Dynaco 70, which I like even better (though you'd need additional components to accompli...

In North Beach, Mama's on Washington Square has always been delicious for breakfast and lunch. http://www.mamas-sf.com/

Also, in North Beach, Molinari's Delicatessan has really amazing sandwiches for takeout. http://www.molinarisalame.com/ Eat in Washington Square if the weather allows.

Enjoy!

Recent events reminded me of a dance that the Joffrey Ballet revived a few years ago: "The Green Table," by the German choreographer Kurt Jooss. It was first performed in Paris in 1932. YouTube has it in five parts. The link for the first part follows; the other sections can be found from ...

Consider, as well, the value of a survivor benefit. I've chosen a 75% survivor benefit for my wife, who is 15 years younger. With COLA (2% per year, noncompounding), and the survivor benefit, I figure I'd need 25-30 times the annual payout to generate that income stream. I was generalizing on the l...

Consider, as well, the value of a survivor benefit. I've chosen a 75% survivor benefit for my wife, who is 15 years younger.

With COLA (2% per year, noncompounding), and the survivor benefit, I figure I'd need 25-30 times the annual payout to generate that income stream.

I live in L.A. and am a native. Check http://www.quikbook.com for hotels - nice aspect is that for most you don't have to pay in advance. You can cancel as long as you stay within the hotel's cancellation policy. Several worthwhile places mentioned by others are close to each other: Farmers Market (...

Age in bonds?

The Check Engine light on my trusty 2000 Camry won't stay off. The scanner points to the emissions system, and so far my mechanic has replaced the "module," the solenoid, and the EGR valve. Plus the gas cap, of course. I'm in a total of about $450. The light keeps coming back on. I need to...

What's going on with them? As of a couple of months ago, it still wasn't possible to designate a beneficiary, though this capability had been promised since the beginning.

Now, it says that they are not opening new accounts.

Are they on their way out?

My wife left her job at the end of August and is now a consultant. She will have been paid $25-30,000 by her clients by year's end. She maxes out her Roth each year, but which of the retirement savings plans should she use to replace her 401(k)? The amount she can defer this year is small but will h...

It should be pretty easy to do. The third party administrator, TSACG is excellent. Speak with both Vanguard and Security Benefit until the procedure is clear.

I'm told that the district has the money, which is a substantial sum. Does it get to keep it, or is it supposed to go to the investors?

Thanks for the insight. As it turns out, when my school district switched 457 vendors and had to switch stable value funds, the book value was a lot higher than what had been credited to investors in the stable value fund. Under such a circumstance, who gets the money - the district or the investors...

Let's say it's part of a large stable value fund affiliated with the company that runs the government employer's 457 plan. The employer switches 457 vendors, necessitating a switch of stable value funds. If the book value is higher than the crediting value on the day the first fund is liquidated, do...

I've always thought of a stable value fund as a fixed rate investment, but it seems that on any given day there is potentially a gap between the crediting rate (what the investor sees in the account balance) and the book rate (what the investment is actually worth on that day). What happens when a 4...

I think that you mean 401(k), not Roth. Roth IRAs are not done through one's employer.

Our Blackberries are almost 3.5 years old. We'll pay the same monthly charges either way, so it's time for new devices.

I have a 403b with a former employer.. The 403(b) may have been earned while you were with your former employer, but it would not be "with" the former employer. The account would be in your name with a brokerage or insurance company. It would, however, still be subject to the rules of you...

We had a moderately expensive ($100) KitchenAid punk out after only a few dozen uses. Replaced it with a (now) $60 Oster BVCB07-Z which is going strong after two years.

And as one other poster noted, your dad had to provide for his retirement by himself (which he obviously didn't) why your mom gets her's courtesy of the taxpayers, making it much easier for her. I am surprised that the moderators permitted this comment to be posted, as the idea that DB pensions are...

Can you get health insurance through your wife's job?

Which states have the best 529 plans, in your opinion?

The California 529 Plan, run by TIAA-CREF, is fairly new. The link is:

https://www.scholarshare.com/index.shtml

Please post your evaluation - I'd be interested to know.

Check whether your state and electric utility offer rebates on specific models that are Energystar compliant. This can result in substantial savings. Also see if you can buy it from a merchant that offers free delivery and free removal of your old refrigerator. We bought ours around Black Friday and...

A walk along Alki Beach in West Seattle is always lovely, with coffee at the Alki Bakery. You'll want to visit the Pike Place Market (very touristy - but fun to see them throw the Chinook Salmon at the fish stall). You'll want to check out the Olympic Sculpture Park (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oly...

My Magic Mouse and wireless keyboard also go through a lot of batteries, so I bought the Eneloops value package at Costco for around $30. It includes a charger, 8 AAs and either 4 or 8 AAAs. Works great.

We use the converter box and an analog antenna on the rooftop that has an unobstructed view of the television transmitters. Instead of two PBS stations, we now have six. We also have five additional stations that mostly show dramas (e.g. Criminal Minds) and vintage tv (Burns and Allen, The Saint, Ba...

Amazon often has excerpts from published reviews under "editorial reviews." Check Mantel's WOLF HALL, and you'll see what I mean.

TIAA-CREF over Lincoln. The 403(b) and 457(b) are similar in that they are tax-deferred. Much depends on whether the 457(b) is governmental (like a school district). If it's governmental and the investment options are comparable, it's a tossup with the 403(b). If it's nongovernmental, it's not as pr...

I don't have my 40 quarters - am a public employee who doesn't pay into Social Security. I need about three years to get to 40 quarters, and before I take on outside work, I'd like to understand whether I'd be eligible for a benefit - ideally enough to cover my Medicare premium when I get to 65. I u...

Check out www.403bwise.com for help with 457(b) plans.

If the options there are bad, consider opening a Roth IRA with Vanguard. Pay the tax now and let the money compound without being taxed when you withdraw it later.

As I recall from shopping for my mother and aunt, the difference in price between a C and an F was about a dollar a month. The difference in coverage is that the F pays for doctors who don't accept Medicare assignment and it covers a lot more days in a skilled nursing facility. Valuable protections....

Thank you for the responses, which I will consider carefully when school ends next week. I don't have any complex strategy in mind - just trying to understand how much money I really have and when it makes the most sense to retire. I'm a teacher with a wife who is also well-employed. We don't own a ...

I just looked through the Wiki on SWR and didn't find the answer to my question. In calculating assets to which I would then apply an appropriate SWR, should I weight the post-tax assets differently than those coming out of tax deferred retirement accounts? For example, if I have equal amounts in bo...

A friend of mine has one of these annuities with John Hancock, and on her policy there's an option to invest additional funds at the (minimum) guaranteed rate of return. Does your policy have a similar provision? Given the costs, might this be a good deal?

Another option while you're sorting things out is to move the $25K into the TIAA Traditional Annuity. Not like other annuities. More like a money market account and probably pays 3% in your 403b. Essentially no risk.

Capresso black (not the chrome) burr grinder (<$90). Blade grinders burn the beans. Worth the investment. I use a Melitta cone ($14) with inexpensive Costco filters (<$5 for 300). Goes directly into a Zoijirushi pour Thermos (about $25). (The drip machines, no matter the cost, are all disappointing ...

You're basically trying to figure which alternative is less tax. (Certainly the annuity seems a good deal.) The answer would depend on what other assets and income streams you have. I agree. I decided to buy my nonqualified service time with money from my 403(b). I paid just under 100k for five yea...