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Your best argument is comp sales. Comparing with only one sale from Trulia will get you nowhere. Our county provided a list of comp sales in our area with its last reassessment. Even that was insufficient for me to make a case for assessment reduction. You should carefully check their data to make s...

I would never consider an ARM, especially one that is interest only. Get a fixed rate mortgage for the shortest number of years that you can comfortably afford. The offer from your bank sounds a lot like the mortgages that got us in trouble in 2008.

You might want to consider talking with a psychologist or some type of counselor who can advise you on how to cope/respond to these issues when they occur. The one thing in life we can control is our response to situations. A counselor might help you see these situations differently and give you cop...

Carmax will buy cars but you will only get wholesale for it. If you trade it in on a newer vehicle, you typically only get wholesale there although it is sometimes hard to figure when you combine the tradein with a purchase. You will get a better price by selling it yourself. I have done that severa...

Most companies require employees to enroll in medicare A&B after age 65 and their insurance provides medigap and maybe part D. If yours is an exception good for you. But be sure you fully understand medicare rules. They are tricky in situations like this and each progrm: B, medigap and D vary in...

Here is the list of the attorneys in the Charlotte Estate Planning Council: http://www.charlotteepc.org/members2.web?IndividualName=&BusinessName=&Discipline=281&Command=Search+Members. I don't know anyone there whom I could recommend. You might check the websites of several of them, an...

My son in laws father just passed away and my son in law is the executor. There is only one other heir, a brother, and the estate is complicated enough that he would prefer to have someone administer the estate. My daughter and son in law live out of state and I do not know anyone that I could recom...

IMO, some additional charges for extra work without informing you in advance is reasonable with the contract as stated. However, to charge double without some indication of extra charges, etc. is totally unreasonable on his part. He should have informed you in advance. My son does remodeling and bui...

I agree. Their website is much better than Vanguard. I have about the same amount in both Vanguard and Fidelity, but Fidelity offers more services and they are always responsive to my needs. Vanguard provides reasonable service but not nearly as good as Fidelity.

I have accounts with both Vanguard and Fidelity. I talk to my Fidelity rep face-to-face once or twice a year (I cannot do that with Vanguard). She provides good insight into the market and investments, especially specific to my situation. She will suggest Fidelity funds but not in a pushy way. She a...

I keep a few records permanently like birth certificates, titles, deeds, will etc. I keep tax records for 7 years that includes my returns, bank statements and relevant receipts. I collect everything for the year just ended and store in a box once I have done my tax return. I have never had to use t...

I am 68 and wife 70. I give my daughter a copy of my investments and investment plan every year. I do not give her my passwords even though I trust her completely. I just think that is a bad idea. What if your accounts got hacked? The fact your child has access complicates that situation considerabl...

You couldn't pay me to live in most of the tax friendly states for retirees. I think I just heard a sigh of relief coming over the mountain from Tennessee... Which reminds me ,since leaving New York State and retiring in Tennessee a couple of years ago,what a pleasant drive we take occasionally On ...

CDs would be a reasonable alternative to bonds but cash will produce a negative real return. If inflation is 2%, then cash return is -2% real. On a short term basis that is ok, but the present environment could persist for years. Also stocks might dip and then dip some more. Who knows. IMO, a long t...

You will no longer get muni income tax deduction in the state you are resident of for tax purposes. You will still get Federal tax deduction.

I managed a large IT organization for many years. My security staff insisted that all employees change their passwords every 60 days. I asked the security manager why should we require that when none of my financial accounts require a change in passwords ever. These financial companies would be on ...

Great article. Thanks for sharing. I had similar upbringing in blue collar family in Appalachia. Both parents worked to provide for us. We were latch key children before that term was established. Both my parents grew up in depression and it left indelible impression on how they used money and were ...

Unless medicare is different for disability it should cover most medical expenses. I have medicare A, B, D and Medigap plan F for my wife and it provides much greater coverage than my employer's spousal coverage which was very good. Even a major extended illness should not require that large of out ...

Although I like Vanguard more as a company, Fidelity has a better website IMO and so I use them for most of my investing instead. It may sound silly but I am willing to pay a few basis points more in fees to have access to all the website tools that I'm now familiar with. Can't go wrong with either...

I managed a large IT organization for many years. My security staff insisted that all employees change their passwords every 60 days. I asked the security manager why should we require that when none of my financial accounts require a change in passwords ever. These financial companies would be on t...

Have a sound investment plan and AA and know your risk tolerance as best you can. Turn off the noise of financial news. I let this influence me to sell part of my equities in early 2009. Nobody knows nothing! A famous quote from Wall Street that was never truer than 2008. I am still amazed at how fe...

Here’s the setup. Me: 65 in August, retired last month. No pension, have not started SS yet. Would get $2100/mo now, $2300 at FRA, 3K at 70. Traditional IRA in mid-six figures at Vanguard. Generally good health (knock on wood). Wife: 66, Retired teacher on state pension. She has virtually no SS cre...

I gave my wife engagement ring in 1967. As best I remember it cost about $250. I guess i was pretty cheap although I did not have much money at the time, but she still loves me.

The Bible.. Even if you do not want to encounter the spiritual aspects of the book, take a look at Proverbs. Many of the wise, pithy sayings have helped me in my career and relationships. Edit to give example: Prov 22:7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender's slave. Teac...

Immoderate Greatness - Why Civilizations Fail by William Ophuls This is a short book of 70 pages and the author lays out the factors that cause all civilizations to fail. It is not specific to any one civilization but makes the point that it is inevitable for all civilizations to fail due to these f...

Thanks for stepping up as chapter coordinator Jon. I look forward to meeting you at future meetings.

They need help in choosing one of the following options: 1. Lumpsum of about $575K. (this seems out of the question *) 2. $3,100 per month - no beneficiary. 3. $2,900 per month - beneficiary benefits if she dies during the first 10 years, nothing thereafter. 4. $2,650 per month - beneficiary benefi...

I would suggest that you review your investment plan and adjust, if appropriate for the fact that you will be retired. The AA for someone your age who is retired would likely be more conservative than if you are still working. When you are working, you have human capital. Once you retire, you no lon...

A maintenance plan sure sounds like an extended warranty in sheep's clothing . . . Agreed. I bought a new electric range with glasstop heating elements and over range microwave from Sears last year. The range cooktop developed a small crack after a few months. Sears replaced the entire top under st...

We seriously considered relocating after I retired and looked at homes in two different markets for several months. We used realtors in both cities for our search. I saw many FSBO signs but never considered inquiring about any. My experience over the years dealing with FSBO sellers is that generally...

I dumped about half of my equities in late 2008 but gradually added them back the next 2-3 years. Admittedly this was a mistake. I suspect others did this as well and it seems there should have been an option for a partial dumping of stocks

I recommend you look at some South Carolina beach resorts: Litchfield/Pawleys Island (just south of Myrtle Beach and more upscale) or Wild Dunes near Charleston. Both have great beaches and plenty of amenities. The weather is usually very nice in May, warm but not as hot or humid as summer. Plus it...

I would like to have seen him give a plain english definition in a few words, something like "hot money chasing extremely overvalued assets".

I recommend you look at some South Carolina beach resorts: Litchfield/Pawleys Island (just south of Myrtle Beach and more upscale) or Wild Dunes near Charleston. Both have great beaches and plenty of amenities. The weather is usually very nice in May, warm but not as hot or humid as summer. Plus it ...

The word bubble seems to be overused and misused based upon what I orginally understood it to mean which is extreme overvaluation. From what I read the market seems fairly valued today and could continue to go up for awhile or it could quickly drop 10% to 20% without much of a trigger. That is why I...

I usually meet with my Fidelity rep about once a year. Obviously they will try to steer you to Fidelity funds, but it is only a soft sell. I find these informative about the market and no pressure is exerted. She will point out possible investments and funds, not always from Fidelity. I find it to b...

The monetary difference between the 2 jobs does not seem great enough to make a change, based solely on the money. Which job will help you achieve your long term career goals best? IMO, you need to see a clear advantage to the other company to make a change, assuming you are reasonably content in yo...

I tried many weapons and decided on the S-W 642 revolver. Simple to operate, no jams and with a laser sight it works for me. Please attend an NRA basic pistol class. An attorney once told a class, only shoot if you have to, after giving a warning, don't say anything until you have a lawyer, and be ...

My wife has been on plan F with BCBS for several years in NC. Hers is an attained age policy meaning they cannot increase rates due to age. However, rates have increased. BCBS explained the increases have been based upon the medical costs incurred by the pool of insurers. There will be some variabil...

I have considered Enterprise and Hertz when shopping for used cars. Their pricing is good. IMO, I believe their cars are better maintained than the average car owner so I would have no concerns about buying one. I doubt these cars get much abuse because most are rented by people traveling on business.

Another approach would be to read one of Dave Ramsey's books which should help. His approach is best for people seriously in debt and his methods impose the self discipline they lack. However, the principles apply to everyone and could help get both of you on the same page financially.

Dave Ramsay has a great program that has helped many people get out of debt and handle their finances and household budget very well. I listen to his program often and am amazed at the many success stories there are of people hopelessly in debt who have followed his plan and got out of debt. I highl...

I am executor of my mother's estate in Virginia. They have reporting requirements if the estate exceeds a certain value. Also, the tax basis for my mother's house was stepped up to market value at the time of her death. When we sold it, we actually incurred a loss due to selling expenses and closing...

I would definitely invest in SV. It is very hard to find FI investments with this kind of return today. I hold a SV in my 401k and it has been trending downward for several years. It is currently at 2.75% which I still consider better than other FI investments, especially TBM. You can assess status ...

I bought gold from APMEX after considerable research. They were recommended by a number of people including a local dealer I have known for a long time. The following is a good website for gold:
http://crawlingroad.com/blog/

I echo what others have said. 80% equities is way too risky when you are dependent upon half your retirement income from your portfolio. Your current AA is probably as high an equity as you should consider. Your current portfolio looks really good and begs the question "why do you need an advis...

I have done this twice with TW, each about 10% discount. Not great and in a year, the special rate expires and you have to do it again. As others have said, you have to be willing to follow through on canceling. Just threatening it probably will not get you anywhere. The cable companies know how to ...

Why give dealers a second chance? You asked for lowest price. The lowest bidder should get your business. Why allow a dealer to "match" the lowest bid? They had their chance. Also, I do not think you are being fair to the dealer who gave you the best price. BTW, I assume you asked for &quo...

I live in NC. My $2M umbrella policy with State Farm was $295, renewal date was 12/2012. No change from prior year. I am a long term State Farm customer and have auto and homeowners with them as well.

He needs to contact the IRS and explain that he is not a dependent for someone else. He will likely have to provide documentation and jump through some hoops to get this cleared up. This is similar to the fraudulent returns that people file, impersonating others, to get a large refund. The victims e...