Search found 922 matches

by Good Listener
Mon Oct 30, 2023 7:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Senior Couple buying a house together
Replies: 41
Views: 5173

Re: Senior Couple buying a house together

Maybe not your question but I would keep both houses. Unless you can't afford it it will be a safe retreat if needed.
by Good Listener
Sun Oct 29, 2023 7:16 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How safe (or unsafe) is Google memorized passwd?
Replies: 34
Views: 3816

Re: How safe (or unsafe) is Google memorized passwd?

I actually don't care. I am a senior citizen and have a lot of sites and I love that Google remembers my password. If I get hacked so be it
by Good Listener
Tue Oct 24, 2023 7:16 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How are you preparing for your cognitive demise? [Financial aspects]
Replies: 76
Views: 9261

Re: How are you preparing for your cognitive demise?

Godot wrote: Mon Oct 23, 2023 8:58 pm Hoping I will die before it comes. That's my strategy, hope through death.
That's my hope. I am 70 and probably have a 10% decline already but still highly functioning but physically I'm a wreck. I resorted to eating very bad food and I do not want to get demented.
by Good Listener
Sat Oct 21, 2023 6:50 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Deceptive Medicare.gov information [Biased towards Medicare Advantage]
Replies: 60
Views: 4180

Re: Deceptive Medicare.gov information [Biased towards Medicare Advantage]

I haven't posted in a long time because in addition to my chronic neck pain and nerve damage causing horrible symptoms in my upper extremities I broke my L1 vertebrae last January and will have chronic back pain for life. Anybody who knows me knows how I hate Medicare advantage because of the prior authorizations required etc. I am not in one of the four states where one is automatically entitled to enroll in a medigap plan anytime they want. Thank goodness I got into my medigap plan G in NJ before my problem with the broken back started this year. I cannot tell you how good it is to never have to worry about a prior authorization and just tell provider front lines that I have original Medicare and a medigap supplement. I beg you not to get...
by Good Listener
Wed Oct 04, 2023 7:14 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Sad News - LadyGeek's Mom has passed
Replies: 158
Views: 37405

Re: Sad News - LadyGeek's Mom has passed

So sorry lady geek. I hope she is in a better place. A lot of us are getting a lot older and we can only feel that we are going to join her one day and hopefully we will be in a better place.
by Good Listener
Wed Aug 23, 2023 6:16 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Is the Vanguard Federal Money Market exempt from NJ state income tax?
Replies: 14
Views: 3092

Re: Is the Vanguard Federal Money Market exempt from NJ state income tax?

Thank you all. I am almost there. Looking at the securities distribution held by the fund I see the: following 3 types: Repurchase Agreements 47.60% U.S. Govt. Obligations 27.10% U.S. Treasury Bills 25.20% Shadow cat thinks it's only the treasury bills but others seem to think it's any us government obligations which includes the 2nd category too for 52.3%. It looks like at the end of February VMFXX held the debt of the Federal Farm Credit Banks and the Federal Home Loan Banks (in addition to the Treasurys). It looks like these are exempt from state tax. I don't know whether VMFXX may ever own substantial amounts of debt from the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) or the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae),...
by Good Listener
Wed Aug 23, 2023 12:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Is the Vanguard Federal Money Market exempt from NJ state income tax?
Replies: 14
Views: 3092

Re: Is the Vanguard Federal Money Market exempt from NJ state income tax?

Thank you all. I am almost there. Looking at the securities distribution held by the fund I see the: following 3 types:
Repurchase Agreements
47.60%
U.S. Govt. Obligations
27.10%
U.S. Treasury Bills
25.20%

Shadow cat thinks it's only the treasury bills but others seem to think it's any us government obligations which includes the 2nd category too for 52.3%.
by Good Listener
Wed Aug 23, 2023 9:01 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Is the Vanguard Federal Money Market exempt from NJ state income tax?
Replies: 14
Views: 3092

Re: Is the Vanguard Federal Money Market exempt from NJ state income tax?

Just so you know, this has nothing to do with New Jersey. The fund is either exempt from all state and local taxation, or none of them. So the question is whether dividends from Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund (VMFXX) are exempt from state and local taxation in general. Using the data from right now (i.e. the snapshot of the fund composition as of July 31st, 2023 which is the most recent data): The answer is no, or at least 74.7% of the dividends are not exempt from state and local taxation. This is because 74.7% of the fund is made up of repurchase agreements or US government obligations. The fund states that 25.2% of the fund is from US treasury obligations and thus 25.2% of the dividend would be exempt from state and local taxation. ...
by Good Listener
Wed Aug 23, 2023 8:48 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Is the Vanguard Federal Money Market exempt from NJ state income tax?
Replies: 14
Views: 3092

Is the Vanguard Federal Money Market exempt from NJ state income tax?

I am finally about to be broken down by Vanguard after being asked to switch to the brokerage platform every time I call flagship and even get things in the mail. So I will be doing this. I may wait until early next year so I only get one 1099 each year. I now will be faced with having dividends from the federal money market which as you all know is the settlement fund. Are those dividends exempt from New Jersey state taxes as far as anybody knows? I know it has all government securities but I don't know if that's the same as US Treasury securities. Thank you very much.
by Good Listener
Tue Jun 27, 2023 6:57 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Wisconsin Medicare Decision Help
Replies: 12
Views: 1171

Re: Wisconsin Medicare Decision Help

I am very fixed on my ideas on this and usually I am not. Unless 300 a month or so will make a difference to you, just get regular Medicare and a supplemental plan g and a drug plan and then you don't have to worry about anything. If the 300 a month they promise to give you back matters well that's a different story. What I tell relatives and friends is Will $3,500 a year for the next 10 or 12 years with the ability to see any doctor you want be worth it to you then most people come to our sound decision. But if they want to go to their grave with an extra 25 or 30,000 that's their business
by Good Listener
Thu Jun 08, 2023 7:18 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help Me Do the Math!
Replies: 22
Views: 2162

Re: Help Me Do the Math!

Maybe your accountant does taxes well but I sure as heck wouldn't use her or him for investment advice. You should absolutely in my opinion do the roths wherever you can. Tax rates are only going up and you are in a very relatively low tax bracket now. I would use Vanguard's personal asset management for a very low fee although I prefer you would do it yourself.
by Good Listener
Thu Jun 08, 2023 7:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Need Passport help!
Replies: 47
Views: 5957

Re: Need Passport help!

Hello all! We submitted all of our paperwork after our appointment on April 2. At the time, they were running about 8 weeks for passports. Here we are now in June, about 12 days from our trip and still no passport. Since we are within 2 weeks of our trip we have been calling passport service number nonstop for the last 2 days. Been waiting on hold for hours on end. And have not been able to get through. They most common scenario we hold for a 1 hour and then they hang up. Any advice appreciated! Any tips on how to navigate the phone tree? Best place to fly to get a meeting in person? Thanks everyone for reading All I can tell you is my mother who is 95 sent in her paperwork last June, accompanied by me who made sure every t was started, fo...
by Good Listener
Thu May 25, 2023 8:18 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Charitable gift annuities with IRA funds
Replies: 5
Views: 567

Re: Charitable gift annuities with IRA funds

petulant wrote: Wed May 24, 2023 8:01 pm Better to just put $30,000 in a SPIA in the IRA and make a QCD of $20,000.
I think that would be a good idea, except I planned by next year to end my 6 year Roth conversion program and have no remaining IRA as I'd rather get the IRA into a roth. After all your comments folks I do realize that there is no free lunch and the charity would end up getting a little less so I'm going to do just a regular qcd if I do the qcd, otherwise just convert it to a Roth. Thank you for your help
by Good Listener
Wed May 24, 2023 3:26 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Charitable gift annuities with IRA funds
Replies: 5
Views: 567

Charitable gift annuities with IRA funds

I would like to seek some advice on this. I have now passed 70 and a half and thought I would be using my IRA to do a qualified charitable deduction AKA QCD. I didn't read the 2022 tax law that involved IRAs at all because apparently it authorizes somebody to take up to $50,000 from an IRA as a one-time shot and give it to a charity and collect interest for a qualified gift annuity. Then of course when you die all of the funds go to the charity. Can anybody think of any reason why you would not do the latter option of a qualified gift annuity as opposed to just a straight qcd? With the qualified gift annuity, you get annual or quarterly payments that are taxable of course. From the qcd you get nothing. Now of course there's the altruistic r...
by Good Listener
Sun May 07, 2023 12:18 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Another question about transitioning from mutual funds to brokerage at vanguard.
Replies: 77
Views: 4645

Re: Another question about transitioning from mutual funds to brokerage at vanguard.

How many holdouts just get a charge out of pushing back? Good question. I've been dragging my feet - mainly procrastination. No real cost to drag my feet but it is on my radar to get it done before the end of the year. If you've waited this long, and absent other punitive action by Vanguard, maybe it makes sense to schedule it for early January 2024 to avoid the two sets of tax documents, although in truth that's not a big hassle as long as you remember to expect them in the year of transition. I was thinking about this. If you do it in early January 2024 there will be some accrued interest in your money market. I was speculating that if you did it on December 31st that you would then only get a1099 for the mutual funds this year and then ...
by Good Listener
Sat May 06, 2023 4:08 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Another question about transitioning from mutual funds to brokerage at vanguard.
Replies: 77
Views: 4645

Re: Another question about transitioning from mutual funds to brokerage at vanguard.

My flagship representative recently called me and indicated that they were trying to get people to agree but not forcing them yet. I got a letter that indicated that it was going to happen. Does anybody have any further update on this? Thank you. What is the "it" that this letter said is going to happen? They can not force you to open a brokerage account, because they can not force you to sign the documents that you would have to sign in order to open a brokerage account. They can and have added fees to the mutual fund only accounts. They may do other things to encourage the change in the future. As you surmise, the it was changing to The brokerage platform. And you appear to be quite right that they can't force you if you have m...
by Good Listener
Sat May 06, 2023 4:06 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Another question about transitioning from mutual funds to brokerage at vanguard.
Replies: 77
Views: 4645

Re: Another question about transitioning from mutual funds to brokerage at vanguard.

rkhusky wrote: Sat May 06, 2023 1:53 pm You will have to manually move the dividends in the settlement account to the muni fund. You could do this monthly, quarterly, yearly or whenever it reaches a particular balance.

There is not much advantage to ETF’s compared to mutual funds at Vanguard, unless you want to trade midday.
You're right. I meant tempted.
by Good Listener
Sat May 06, 2023 1:44 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Another question about transitioning from mutual funds to brokerage at vanguard.
Replies: 77
Views: 4645

Re: Another question about transitioning from mutual funds to brokerage at vanguard.

Thank you for all your comments thus far. I fully understand that I can hold the mutual funds. Conceivably I would switch my total stock market mutual fund to an ETF but the good thing about the mutual fund is you're not encouraged to trade during the day. I've never traded anything.
by Good Listener
Sat May 06, 2023 1:30 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Another question about transitioning from mutual funds to brokerage at vanguard.
Replies: 77
Views: 4645

Re: Another question about transitioning from mutual funds to brokerage at vanguard.

What is bothering me is that I currently am able to have dividends from my stock and Muni bond funds going to my Muni money market. Apparently with the brokerage account that is not possible and everything then goes into a taxable Federal money market or federal Cash Money market admiral shares. Is there any possibility they will allow mutual fund direct dividend transfers or is that gone?? Because I'm in a fairly high tax bracket and I don't want to deal with a federal money market but if I must I must.
by Good Listener
Sat May 06, 2023 12:57 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Another question about transitioning from mutual funds to brokerage at vanguard.
Replies: 77
Views: 4645

Another question about transitioning from mutual funds to brokerage at vanguard.

I know there's been a lot of discussion of this including a question for mine and I guess I'm comfortable that if this has to happen I'm good with it. One reason that I've always held the mutual funds and not brokerage said I didn't want to be tempted to buy something extra on a possible whim. But ignore that. My flagship representative recently called me and indicated that they were trying to get people to agree but not forcing them yet. I got a letter that indicated that it was going to happen. Does anybody have any further update on this? Thank you.
by Good Listener
Sun Apr 23, 2023 7:45 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Letter from IRS
Replies: 64
Views: 7840

Re: Letter from IRS

If it's only $700 I would pay them and that will end it. Next year, maybe save the $100 to use TurboTax and don't bother with mailing it.
by Good Listener
Sun Apr 23, 2023 7:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I purchase a Medicare supplement?
Replies: 202
Views: 16348

Re: Should I purchase a Medicare supplement?

ekid wrote: Sat Apr 22, 2023 2:33 pm Not if you can afford the 20% after the heavy price control and 80% Medicare pays. I think I can. I'm not buying.

After 13 years of retirement I'm happy and satisfied with the decision.
Well I decided from the beginning to get a supplement and a drug plan to compliment original medicare. I was hoping to never need the supplement. However I bought it all of course. So now 5 years after starting Medicare I fell down steps and broke my back and was hospitalized and have all sorts of problems. I have paid nothing except the deductible to my plan g supplement. I wish you well and hope you never get cancer or heart disease or fall or have anything that hospitalizes you. I think you can get too smug sometimes.
by Good Listener
Mon Apr 17, 2023 8:53 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: squared away: negotiating the medigap/advantage maze
Replies: 26
Views: 2510

Re: squared away: negotiating the medigap/advantage maze

Right now, retired NYC retirees are fighting to retain our right to use Original Medical. We are being forced into an Aetna MA plan with no other choice. Barb, you actually do have a choice. I have many friends in your situation and I tell them that if you can afford the $200 a month or so for a part b supplement plan g and a drug plan for maybe 25 or $50 then just do it.. Just because you get something for free doesn't mean it is worth it. If you need a specialist do you really want to wait for a referral or if you need cancer treatment do you want to have to get a referral and possibly not go where you want to go? The city is being forced to do this because they simply don't have enough money. Part of the "cost" here is that I'...
by Good Listener
Sun Apr 16, 2023 9:06 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Change in NYC Retiree Health Care Benefits.
Replies: 73
Views: 10536

Re: Change in NYC Retiree Health Care Benefits.

My strongest suggestion is to go with your option 2. I figure it will cost you about $250 per month between the Medigap plan G which I suggest as you will pay nothing other than the deductible of 200 or so and a drug plan. $3,000 per year. If that is a significant expense to you and it will crimp your lifestyle and or have you penniless in your later years (and I mean that seriously not sarcastically), then go with the city plan which can always be changed by the city of course. The city budget is in serious trouble as we all know and you don't know what will happen in 5 years. Or two years. It may be that some future for current administration will be swayed to spend more money on current needs and retirees. But if you can afford it then s...
by Good Listener
Sun Apr 16, 2023 6:39 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: New Jersey taxable or not for federal money market
Replies: 5
Views: 817

Re: New Jersey taxable or not for federal money market

Thank you so much for clarifying. So I understand fully now the federal money market and how it's reduced by the percent that is US government obligations. Without using symbols, I'm still a little confused about the municipal money market. It was only about 1% attributable to New Jersey for 2022 but when I entered that in TurboTax it did not recognize that deduction and didn't take it at all from the total amount tax for New Jersey which was all of it. Is that correct and that is where the 80% rule applies?
by Good Listener
Sat Apr 15, 2023 10:26 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: New Jersey taxable or not for federal money market
Replies: 5
Views: 817

New Jersey taxable or not for federal money market

As I continue to consider upgrading to the brokerage account from mutual funds, you folks have been very helpful to me. One thing I see is that you get a settlement fund in the federal money market. This creates issues of course because then you have cash going into this taxable investment at the federal level from monthly dividends etc, which one may want to move out perodically. But I am interested in New Jersey taxation of this if anybody knows. I know it's all federal securities but I'm not sure it's treasury obligations that are state tax exempt. Does anybody know? Thank you
by Good Listener
Thu Apr 13, 2023 6:32 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: squared away: negotiating the medigap/advantage maze
Replies: 26
Views: 2510

Re: squared away: negotiating the medigap/advantage maze

BarbBrooklyn wrote: Thu Apr 13, 2023 1:50 pm Right now, retired NYC retirees are fighting to retain our right to use Original Medical. We are being forced into an Aetna MA plan with no other choice.
Barb, you actually do have a choice. I have many friends in your situation and I tell them that if you can afford the $200 a month or so for a part b supplement plan g and a drug plan for maybe 25 or $50 then just do it.. Just because you get something for free doesn't mean it is worth it. If you need a specialist do you really want to wait for a referral or if you need cancer treatment do you want to have to get a referral and possibly not go where you want to go? The city is not being forced to do this because they simply don't have enough money.
by Good Listener
Thu Apr 13, 2023 6:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: ? Before I switch to brokerage account from mutual funds
Replies: 6
Views: 735

Re: ? Before I switch to brokerage account from mutual funds

Thank you everybody. It sounds like all will be good. Mike, you did exactly what the rep kept doing. I know what the percentage is in each fund. Functionally it is 0% New Jersey for the muni money market and 100% for the New Jersey Bond fund. So the percents for funds are not relevant. It is how much came from each fund. Thank you for trying.
by Good Listener
Wed Apr 12, 2023 7:22 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: ? Before I switch to brokerage account from mutual funds
Replies: 6
Views: 735

? Before I switch to brokerage account from mutual funds

I have never switched yet at vanguard because I only have a few mutual funds: a tax free money market that is municipal because New Jersey was dropped as an option, a New Jersey long-term Bond fund, and a total stock market. My 1099 div is very simple and it is obvious which fund has the dividends tax free from New Jersey as it is reported separately for the New Jersey Bond fund. I called flagship today and the person was no helpful . What I want to know is, when you get the 1099 div from brokerage, is there separate supporting information which indicates the specific dividends from each of the tax free funds. So hypothetically if you had 50k from the New Jersey bond fund and 10K from the national municipal money market, the total reported ...
by Good Listener
Tue Feb 14, 2023 7:04 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Printing from the EFTPS site
Replies: 8
Views: 811

Re: Printing from the EFTPS site

hachiko wrote: Mon Feb 13, 2023 8:36 pm I always get receipts with the confirmation number emailed to me. If the IRS says a payment wasn't credited, you can match those up with the proof from your bank that the payment was debited. The IRS will then be able to use that in their trace.

If you want to keep a record of what you're inputting, hit print screen, open a word doc, paste it there, and you're good. Hopefully by "printing" you mean printing to pdf and you're not actually printing something onto a piece of paper and physically storing it.
Thank you. For some reason I don't get the email confirmations. And yes I meant printing a PDF.
by Good Listener
Mon Feb 13, 2023 2:50 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Printing from the EFTPS site
Replies: 8
Views: 811

Re: Printing from the EFTPS site

Thank you. Not really because that just gives you one line descriptions of each of your payments. After each payment, which I just saw, there is a printer friendly version but it doesn't show your name or less of your Social or anything
by Good Listener
Mon Feb 13, 2023 11:35 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Printing from the EFTPS site
Replies: 8
Views: 811

Printing from the EFTPS site

I have been paying estimated taxes at the EFTPS site for many years. There does not appear to be any option to print proof of your payment. What I've resorted to is taking screenshots and then printing them but that seems sort of silly. Does anybody have any ideas on how to do this or am I just missing something? Thank you
by Good Listener
Tue Feb 07, 2023 7:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Forgot to include 1099-R
Replies: 3
Views: 865

Re: Forgot to include 1099-R

I would do nothing. Somehow in about 18 months she will get a letter from the IRS that you owe them something. Just put a sticky on your tax return and you'll remember it when they send it
by Good Listener
Tue Feb 07, 2023 7:15 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Need to spend $10,000 stat!
Replies: 147
Views: 14176

Re: Need to spend $10,000 stat!

z3r0c00l wrote: Mon Feb 06, 2023 6:45 pm Sounds like a huge amount to spend in 90 days. What is your normal monthly spending?
Marry off your daughter and you'll easily get it.
by Good Listener
Sat Jan 28, 2023 7:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Wyoming State insurance instead of Medicare Plan B
Replies: 8
Views: 734

Re: Wyoming State insurance instead of Medicare Plan B

I don't know but I was just hospitalized for 3 Days a few weeks ago with the broken vertebrae which by the way is killing me and I pray I recover from. I have a plan g and my total cost of everything with huge bills from everyone is going to be the deductible.
by Good Listener
Wed Jan 25, 2023 7:15 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Wyoming State insurance instead of Medicare Plan B
Replies: 8
Views: 734

Re: Wyoming State insurance instead of Medicare Plan B

Medicare is the greatest program I've ever seen. If I were her I would just sign up for Medicare and get a drug plan and a supplement like plan g and if it costs a few dollars more so what?
by Good Listener
Tue Jan 24, 2023 7:09 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Worst Financial Fears
Replies: 23
Views: 2728

Re: Worst Financial Fears

It didn't happen to me. I have a chronic neuropathy and I'm working with some specialist with meds costing 5 or 600 a month. Which by the way I don't think will work. Then I broke my back two weeks ago and I'm paying a fortune for aides and delivery of medicines and all sorts of things. And if I didn't have that money I don't know what I would do. I get grocery deliveries and people to clean and everything. My worst fear would be having to take care of myself without the resources. That's all that money matters for. And my daughter lives 8 miles away and has not seen me in 10 days. She calls everyday, whoopee..She just tells me to get help and pay for it which I'm doing and her percentage inheritance is going to go down.
by Good Listener
Sun Jan 22, 2023 7:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Did Turbotax Pull One Over?
Replies: 41
Views: 6035

Re: Did Turbotax Pull One Over?

Here's how I figure it. If TurboTax didn't exist were no online service existed, how much would be the amount you would pay to get access to it. For me if you can get it all for $100 or $200 that is a steal. Take this from somebody who is laid up now with a bad back and praying to God he gets better. I have all five tax forms for next year and will pay whatever turbo tax wants.
by Good Listener
Sun Jan 01, 2023 6:36 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Explaining Medicare/Healthcare in 5-10 sentences
Replies: 24
Views: 3535

Re: Explaining Medicare/Healthcare in 5-10 sentences

Don't forget that Medicare Part D has a gap in coverage. After spending $4430 in covered medications, you have to spend a total of $6550 out of pocket to get into the catastrophic coverage stage of the insurance. Reaching the $6550 counts as the below: Brand name meds - the insured will pay 25% of the med and 25% of the dispensing fee Generic meds - the insured will pay 25% of the cost only. Please note that if you pay out of pocket for anything or try to use a coupon (medicare patients are not eligible for most manufacturer coupons, so I'm talking about GoodRx etc here), it will NOT count towards your out of pocket spend of $6550, so even if it's more expensive through the insurance, if you think you're going to reach the catastrophic cov...
by Good Listener
Sat Dec 31, 2022 7:31 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Medicare service while traveling
Replies: 14
Views: 1563

Re: Medicare service while traveling

It's things like this that keep me telling people that if you can afford the few hundred a month for plan g and a drug plan, don't bother with Medicare advantage.? My second day on Medicare I didn't know I was on Medicare advantage as the company I retired from somehow automatically enrolled me,,and went to an ENT person who wanted to cut out something. I said go ahead. And he said no we need prior authorization. That was it and I switched to a medigap and that was the best thing I ever did.
by Good Listener
Mon Dec 26, 2022 7:15 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Explaining Medicare/Healthcare in 5-10 sentences
Replies: 24
Views: 3535

Re: Explaining Medicare/Healthcare in 5-10 sentences

One comment as I am well known for. Unless the two or $300 a month matters, do original Medicare and get supplement plan g. And then get a drug plan. You will never have prior authorizations or anything like that but if you do part 3 with the Medicare advantage you're going to be on the phone many times and go into a doctor's office and not be able to get something done. The company I retired from without my knowing it and rolled me a Medicare advantage and the second day of Medicare I went to an ENT guy who wanted to take something out of my mouth and he had to wait for prior to approval and I got the heck out of there and went to plan g at a part dsupplement. Good luck
by Good Listener
Sat Dec 24, 2022 7:16 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Medicare subscriber needs vision/dental....how?
Replies: 54
Views: 4548

Re: New Medicare subscriber needs vision/dental....how?

Avoid Medicare advantage at all costs. I don't have a vision plan because as any 65-year-old would have although I'm 70 now, there are always some eye diseases so the annual exam is a medical condition. And dental, either get some dental insurance which really isn't worth it or just pay rack rates and get on with it. Never do Medicare advantage, you never want to have to get a private private approval when you're an old person. I see anybody I want and everybody in New Jersey takes Medicare
by Good Listener
Sat Dec 24, 2022 7:15 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Medicare subscriber needs vision/dental....how?
Replies: 54
Views: 4548

Re: New Medicare subscriber needs vision/dental....how?

Avoid Medicare advantage at all costs. I don't have a vision plan because as any 65-year-old would have although I'm 70 now, there are always some eye diseases so the annual exam is a medical condition. And dental, either get some dental insurance which really isn't worth it or just pay rack rates and get on with it. Never do Medicare advantage, you never want to have to get a private private approval when you're an old person. I see anybody I want and everybody in New Jersey takes Medicare
by Good Listener
Sun Dec 18, 2022 7:28 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do you use Kaiser-Advantage Insurance with Medicare?
Replies: 27
Views: 2233

Re: Do you use Kasier-Advantage Insurance with Medicare?

Why do you think any advantage plan no matter how good you think it is is so cheap. Unless you really are strapped for a few hundred a month and some are, just get a medicap g \^and a drug plan and then you're done. No prior approvals, no networks, no nothing. It's a few hundred a month matters and I guess of course you can do Medicare advantage but I just don't see the point. I read a survey where people with incomes over 100,000 never do Medicare advantage. Disclaimer, I hate Medicare advantage as I was in it for 2 months and got out as soon as I could because of prior authorization
by Good Listener
Sat Dec 17, 2022 7:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do you use Kaiser-Advantage Insurance with Medicare?
Replies: 27
Views: 2233

Re: Do you use Kasier-Advantage Insurance with Medicare?

The reason Kaiser Advantage (and all other Medicare Advantage plans) has low premiums from you is that Medicare is also paying them a monthly fee, whether you seek care or not in exchange for you not having Original Medicare. But you are also paying Medicare premiums monthly and you paid into Medicare while you worked. In other words, the money is being paid behind the scenes but it is invisible to you. I see it as Medicare is paying them to take care of a certain population of patients without bothering Medicare for each visit. In exchange for the low price to you, you are agreeing to get all medical care through the network you chose (Kaiser or other), except for emergencies while traveling. You also can’t file any claims for Original Me...
by Good Listener
Sat Dec 17, 2022 7:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How much to tip the taxi driver?
Replies: 81
Views: 7587

Re: How much to tip the taxi driver?

I am probably unusual as I tip huge amounts. I am now 70 and until 8 years ago with totally independent and now with chronic pain need services for everything like uber eats, and instacart, and Uber to get to medical appointments. I am so appreciative of these people and I tip a lot, so on the $20 trip locally I will give him $10 and on an $80 trip from New Jersey to Philly I will give them $40. I also told them cash. I cannot imagine if they were not there what would have happened. This is one of the rare things that was good about this covert thing because it got the service industry via apps etc to be available. This includes telemedicine where I have specialists in distant cities.
by Good Listener
Sun Dec 11, 2022 7:33 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone used MedigapSeminars?
Replies: 6
Views: 937

Re: Anyone used MedigapSeminars?

It all seriousness, unless $200 or so a month would affect your life and I understand in some people it does, just get medigap plan g from any of the insurers. You will then pay your deductible that Medicare sets each year and they never another penny unless the doctor missed code something and you can eventually get that straightened out if it's worth your time. I periodically get a miscoding for a lab and then a bill from LabCorp for $20 or $50 and I just pay it and don't bother.
by Good Listener
Sun Dec 11, 2022 7:32 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Do you pay tax on SS or are you paying later?
Replies: 5
Views: 1110

Re: Do you pay tax on SS or are you paying later?

Frankly I wouldn't have anything withheld from Social security because to change it is a big deal with forms and mailing and things like that. Would I suggest to people is if they're so capable as at age 70 I am but less each year, estimate your tax liability for the following year cuz you probably know all your sources except possibly stock dividends. Then unless you have something else withhold from just pay an estimated tax before the end of the first quarter that will cover the whole year and then you're done. If we die during that year hopefully we have children or somebody else who we let know what the heck is going on. I have a daughter and son-in-law I'm going to know that they know what to do
by Good Listener
Wed Nov 16, 2022 7:36 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Vanguard Donor-advised account
Replies: 13
Views: 849

Re: Vanguard Donor-advised account

I am debating where to open an account and I am in the New York area and listen to Bloomberg radio a lot and there's something called the Jewish donor fund or Jewish advisory fund or something like that which has a 5,000 minimum it doesn't have these nonsense fees
by Good Listener
Fri Nov 11, 2022 7:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: IBM UHC Medicare Advantage 2023 - pros and cons?
Replies: 85
Views: 15722

Re: IBM UHC Medicare Advantage 2023 - pros and cons?

This brings back horrible memories for me of November 2017 the year I turned 65. I was a retiree from a megacorp, a pharmaceutical concern that had a consumer business and device business as well, and without my consent or knowledge I found out I was enrolled in a United healthcare Medicare advantage plan. Apparently they had a link with the federal government and knew when I applied for medicare. That is an absolute insult and I can't believe that. Regardless, My first day on Medicare on November 1st, I went to an ENT person for a consult and there was a simple office procedure to remove something but he needed to get prior approval. That was it for me as I never wanted to have to go through that.....You would not believe how hard it was f...