Search found 174 matches
- Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:42 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Mechanism for Grandparent 529 contribution
- Replies: 7
- Views: 338
Re: Mechanism for Grandparent 529 contribution
Over the past year we have had several people contribute to our daughter's CA 529 using the website "www.ugift529.com" and entering her code. We haven't had any problems. It takes a few days from when they contribute to when the money shows up.
- Sun Jan 10, 2021 1:34 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: expensive family vacations with adult children?
- Replies: 43
- Views: 3141
Re: expensive family vacations with adult children?
This is colored by my own financial circumstances (two income household with solid white collar careers) but I would much rather have quality time with my parents/in-laws now while they leave me no inheritance at all. My in-laws have been very generous with family trips; my MIL passed away in 2020 a...
- Sun Dec 20, 2020 3:07 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Best Way to e-File without relying on tax software
- Replies: 8
- Views: 519
Re: Best Way to e-File without relying on tax software
FreeFillableForms.com
But there are a few restrictions and often you need to be patient as it can take a while to get all the forms updated.
But there are a few restrictions and often you need to be patient as it can take a while to get all the forms updated.
- Thu Dec 17, 2020 6:36 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Bitcoin @ 23K, why am I anti-Bitcoin?
- Replies: 404
- Views: 19554
Re: Bitcoin @ 23K, why am I anti-Bitcoin?
I understand Bitcoin, what I don't understand is Tether , which purports to always equal 1 USDT = 1 USD and does some shady shady stuff with bitcoin. By the time I understand Tether there will be another pump and dump scheme that I will need to figure out. The real breakthrough of Bitcoin is that un...
- Fri Nov 27, 2020 8:30 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: How do you handle Christmas presents with your spouse?
- Replies: 41
- Views: 2551
Re: How do you handle Christmas presents with your spouse?
For us it depends on circumstances, are we traveling? Who got who in the family "secret Santa?" Is there a joint big ticket item that we both want instead?
I wouldn't say there's anything more special about the years that we do get each other a wrapped surprise present.
I wouldn't say there's anything more special about the years that we do get each other a wrapped surprise present.
- Sat Nov 21, 2020 7:55 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: payroll social security tax deferral, is it tiered?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 450
Re: payroll social security tax deferral, is it tiered?
1.45% is the Medicare tax rate. This was not deferred.
- Sun Nov 15, 2020 12:33 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: CA part year resident tax calculation
- Replies: 10
- Views: 631
Re: CA part year resident tax calculation
I've had to pay CA partial year resident taxes twice. My understanding of the philosophy is that you are only paying taxes on CA income but the effective tax rate you pay is based on total income. The proportional method (calculation #2) should be equivalent.
- Thu Nov 12, 2020 2:19 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: To escrow or not to escrow your taxes
- Replies: 50
- Views: 2499
- Thu Nov 12, 2020 1:43 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: To escrow or not to escrow your taxes
- Replies: 50
- Views: 2499
Re: To escrow or not to escrow your taxes
We decided not to escrow when we had the option. Not for the interest, but because we had heard too many escrow horror stories. Why would I trust Faceless Loan Servicer to pay my bills on time and to the correct authority after my loan has been sold 3 or 4 times? Saving the money myself is pretty tr...
- Wed Nov 11, 2020 11:07 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Artificial vs "real" garland for outdoor decoration
- Replies: 2
- Views: 164
Re: Artificial vs "real" garland for outdoor decoration
I have been using the same artificial wreath, which has a metal frame, for 10 years. The wreath itself holds up well but the decorations do need to be refreshed every few years. For a garland I think the weak spot won't be the artificial foliage but however it is strung. I'm not sure about specifics...
- Thu Nov 05, 2020 11:36 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What do you give your adult children at holiday time?
- Replies: 175
- Views: 12537
Re: What do you giver your adult children at holiday time?
We do family secret Santa so we only have to get one adult a gift.
- Sun Nov 01, 2020 11:03 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: New opportunity in Austin vs current employer in california
- Replies: 36
- Views: 2848
Re: New opportunity in Austin vs current employer in california
The difference between summer in Austin and summer in Sacramento is this: In Sacramento when you are hot, you step into the shade and feel some relief. A breeze picks up and cools your sweat and you feel a little better. At night you can open all your windows and let the cooler air in. In Austin, yo...
- Sun Nov 01, 2020 12:53 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Father died intestate - sibling executor is estate attorney on power trip
- Replies: 57
- Views: 5455
Re: Father died intestate - sibling executor is estate attorney on power trip
Many states split the estates of people who died without a will between spouse and children or other family members depending on circumstances. It is not always "spouse gets all." For example in California spouse inherits all community property but only inherits 50% of separate property an...
- Sun Nov 01, 2020 12:33 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Father died intestate - sibling executor is estate attorney on power trip
- Replies: 57
- Views: 5455
Re: Father died intestate - sibling executor is estate attorney on power trip
I didn't have to "file" a trust with anyone. I just went to a lawyer who wrote up the trust documents, signed it with a notary + witnesses, and then funded it by transferring assets to the trust's name. The trust documents are sitting on my desk. This is why other commenters keep advising ...
- Sat Oct 31, 2020 5:56 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: New opportunity in Austin vs current employer in california
- Replies: 36
- Views: 2848
Re: New opportunity in Austin vs current employer in california
Have you ever visited Austen? Looked at neighborhoods? Looked at your commute in a non-pandemic future? I grew up in N. Cal, lived in San Antonio Tx for 9 years, visited Austin often. Just moved back to the Bay Area. That salary in Austin is very very nice but to me the question is what lifestyle yo...
- Fri Oct 30, 2020 5:30 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Estate planning questions - young family
- Replies: 23
- Views: 2425
Re: Estate planning questions - young family
We are also in our mid-30s with one child under the age of 1. Can't speak to trustees, but we decided for the present to distribute the entirety of the remainder of thr trust at age 25. Ideally most of the funds will have been spent down by that point for living expenses + college if our kids chose ...
- Sat Oct 24, 2020 1:29 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Can I transfer ROTH or Traditional funds to parents to sell and avoid penalty tax?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 653
Re: Can I transfer ROTH or Traditional funds to parents to sell and avoid penalty tax?
It's an Individual Retirement Account. It can't be transferred (except after death and perhaps divorce).
You can withdraw the sum of your Roth IRA *contributions* at any time without taxes or penalty.
You can withdraw the sum of your Roth IRA *contributions* at any time without taxes or penalty.
- Fri Oct 23, 2020 1:47 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Collected short stories by one author
- Replies: 21
- Views: 1136
Re: Collected short stories by one author
You may enjoy Annie Proulx, she has 4 short story collections although I have only read her first, Heart Songs. Her stories have just a touch of tall tale in them.
- Wed Oct 21, 2020 10:40 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Spouse PPO vs my HDHP+HSA
- Replies: 28
- Views: 1588
Re: Spouse PPO vs my HDHP+HSA
FYI the HDHP should also provide some free annual screenings. I didn't know that. I haven't checked that yet. Is that law? Yes it was part of the Affordable Care Act and as far as I know part that has not been repealed. You can find a list of screenings that should be covered by most plans here: ht...
- Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:24 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Spouse PPO vs my HDHP+HSA
- Replies: 28
- Views: 1588
Re: Spouse PPO vs my HDHP+HSA
FYI the HDHP should also provide some free annual screenings.
- Wed Oct 21, 2020 12:18 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: New washing machine / washing clothes in hot water?
- Replies: 52
- Views: 3884
Re: New washing machine / washing clothes in hot water?
This article about sanitizing clothes says that hot water can't hurt but doesn't really cut it - bleach is necessary anyway. And then follow up with the high heat setting on the dryer or line dry.
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ss/ ... -when-sick
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ss/ ... -when-sick
- Tue Oct 20, 2020 4:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Over-contributed to 401k in 2019 due to employer error
- Replies: 2
- Views: 328
Re: Over-contributed to 401k in 2019 due to employer error
1099 employee is an oxymoron, either you were an employee or you were an independent contractor. I'm questioning whether it's even legal to go back and re-classify you as an independent contractor for last year's work. If you were employed, then you were employed. Presumably they collected and remit...
- Sat Oct 17, 2020 11:53 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Why does being close to a Trader Joers, Aldi or Whole Foods drive up house value???
- Replies: 14
- Views: 1677
Re: Why does being close to a Trader Joers, Aldi or Whole Foods drive up house value???
We live near a Target and guess what is opening right next door to it? Yep, a Whole Foods.
There is a whole industry devoted to planning retail locations, bank branch locations, etc. It is a branch of geography/GIS. So if your kid wants to get a geography degree don't laugh!
There is a whole industry devoted to planning retail locations, bank branch locations, etc. It is a branch of geography/GIS. So if your kid wants to get a geography degree don't laugh!
- Thu Oct 15, 2020 5:34 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Is there any investment products can guarantee 2-3% annual return?
- Replies: 37
- Views: 4323
Re: Is there any investment products can guarantee 2-3% annual return?
OK if you work for a non-profit or not-for-profit that offers a TIAA 403b, you may have access to a TIAA Traditional at 3% 

- Fri Sep 25, 2020 5:14 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Gift Tax Question
- Replies: 10
- Views: 590
Re: Gift Tax Question
Assuming you live in a community property state and thus the truck really belongs to both of you, you + your husband can each gift $15k to brother + SIL without reporting, so that's a max of $60k per year that you as a couple can gift to them as a couple without reporting.
- Thu Sep 24, 2020 8:58 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Contingent Beneficiary Question-Specific Situation
- Replies: 11
- Views: 653
Re: Contingent Beneficiary Question-Specific Situation
So are named-beneficiary accounts controlled by the will? Or by state law? I thought the benefit of named beneficiary accounts is that they are not part of the estate thus not controlled by the will. No, the will has nothing to do with it. We’re only talking about simultaneous deaths in beneficiary...
- Thu Sep 24, 2020 7:31 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Contingent Beneficiary Question-Specific Situation
- Replies: 11
- Views: 653
Re: Contingent Beneficiary Question-Specific Situation
So are named-beneficiary accounts controlled by the will? Or by state law? I thought the benefit of named beneficiary accounts is that they are not part of the estate thus not controlled by the will.
- Mon Sep 21, 2020 9:52 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Trust Beneficiary Modification
- Replies: 57
- Views: 3049
Re: Trust Beneficiary Modification
So just to be clear what you are signing is not the modification but a petition to the court to make the modification? In other words a judge would need to agree?
I certainly wouldn't sign anything without knowing what amount is under discussion and the original terms of the trust.
I certainly wouldn't sign anything without knowing what amount is under discussion and the original terms of the trust.
- Mon Sep 21, 2020 4:19 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Trust Beneficiary Modification
- Replies: 57
- Views: 3049
Re: Trust Beneficiary Modification
My husband's family made a similar change to a bloodline trust but they did it before the grandparent died. Basically one of the children was gravely ill and spouse was counting on part of the inheritance as their retirement plan :oops: The big risk as stated is that mom (in your case) remarries and...
- Sun Sep 13, 2020 2:56 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Thoughts a will to protect generational wealth?
- Replies: 42
- Views: 2545
Re: Thoughts a will to protect generational wealth?
A family foundation is a nonprofit or charitable trust and can't really distribute money specifically to family members at all. I don't think you understand what the Nobel Foundation or the Carnegie Foundation do.
- Fri Aug 28, 2020 11:21 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can a landlord charge for stain removal on 14 year-old carpet?
- Replies: 36
- Views: 3662
Re: Can a landlord charge for stain removal on 14 year-old carpet?
It doesn't look like Oregon has a specific law, so it's what can be justified as "unreasonable wear and tear" in small claims court. I think they'd be hard pressed to justify $85 in damage to a 14 year old carpet but they are gambling that you don't want to waste time over $85.
- Mon Aug 17, 2020 12:44 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: When should one share financials with their children?
- Replies: 205
- Views: 13450
Re: When should one share financials with their children?
I am coming from the other end of this - we am in my mid-thirties and our parents are in their mid-sixties. We just had a sit-down with the in-laws to go over their retirement and estate plan, as well as the estate plan for a grandparent. This was important because we will be trustees for a dependen...
- Fri Aug 14, 2020 8:37 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Pour-Over Coffee maker
- Replies: 39
- Views: 2556
Re: Pour-Over Coffee maker
My husband enjoys his Chemex. It is good for home use but doesn't travel well (being glass and all-in-one).
He uses the plastic basket of a drip coffee maker for pourover coffee on the road - another benefit is it takes standard filters, not specialty ones.
He uses the plastic basket of a drip coffee maker for pourover coffee on the road - another benefit is it takes standard filters, not specialty ones.
- Fri Aug 07, 2020 11:29 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Valid Side Gig Schedule C Expenses for a Professor
- Replies: 11
- Views: 816
Re: Valid Side Gig Schedule C Expenses for a Professor
Some of this may be state dependent. In my state (CA) I operate as MyRealName Consulting, there is no need for a DBA filing or EIN. Your litmus test may not be the IRS litmus test. For example to deduct the cost of my laptop according to the IRS I need to divide the use between business and non-busi...
- Fri Aug 07, 2020 4:12 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Valid Side Gig Schedule C Expenses for a Professor
- Replies: 11
- Views: 816
Re: Valid Side Gig Schedule C Expenses for a Professor
You can expense a lot of stuff as a percentage of business use, but is the minimal tax savings worth the bookkeeping? Like if your high speed internet is $100 a month and you use it for 100 hours a year for 1099 work and 3,000 hours for W-2 work and personal use, you can deduct $38 off your 1099 inc...
- Thu Aug 06, 2020 3:50 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Accounting for CC cash back in personal budget
- Replies: 41
- Views: 2306
Re: Accounting for CC cash back in personal budget
I use YNAB which is basically an envelope or zero-budget method ("give every dollar a job"). Cash rewards are "income to be budgeted."
- Tue Aug 04, 2020 5:05 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: New house... replace toilets?
- Replies: 25
- Views: 2045
Re: New house... replace toilets?
IME when the wax ring fails you will get a sewer gas smell.
Our city offered free low flow toilets so we replaced the toilets + rings at that point. When we took the old toilets off, on one of them the toilet flange was rusted out and also needed to be replaced.
Our city offered free low flow toilets so we replaced the toilets + rings at that point. When we took the old toilets off, on one of them the toilet flange was rusted out and also needed to be replaced.
- Sat Jul 25, 2020 9:30 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Industrial Design/Engineering Questions
- Replies: 8
- Views: 555
Re: Industrial Design/Engineering Questions
I'm a mechanical engineer. CAD in high school isn't super necessary, he can learn what he needs as he needs to. I wish I had taken drafting when it was offered - hand drafting is a lost art. But a pencil drawing class might be more useful in the long run, anything to aid the ability to get mental de...
- Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:11 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Backyard BBQ - easy
- Replies: 42
- Views: 3878
Re: Backyard BBQ - easy
We have a Weber propane grill at our cabin, used to have charcoal grills. Propane is great for occasional use. Just clean the grill while it is still a little hot and any food particles will come right off. Definitely get the grill cover or any grill will rust out within a season. If you have a newe...
- Mon Jul 20, 2020 3:09 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: $359k in med school debt; advice for family member
- Replies: 101
- Views: 7277
Re: $359k in med school debt; advice for family member
Another budgeting/get out of debt expert that might appeal to them is Jesse Mecham. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0062567586/
- Mon Jul 20, 2020 12:24 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: $359k in med school debt; advice for family member
- Replies: 101
- Views: 7277
Re: $359k in med school debt; advice for family member
If health care is so crummy why isn't an HSA an option? Employers don't have to offer and HSA, if the plan qualifies then he can open one independently. A lot of Mormon wives work from home. I see a lot of excuses and not solution-oriented mindset. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make t...
- Mon Jul 20, 2020 11:20 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: $359k in med school debt; advice for family member
- Replies: 101
- Views: 7277
Re: $359k in med school debt; advice for family member
If health care is so crummy why isn't an HSA an option? Employers don't have to offer and HSA, if the plan qualifies then he can open one independently. A lot of Mormon wives work from home. I see a lot of excuses and not solution-oriented mindset. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make th...
- Sat Jul 18, 2020 4:10 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Question on SEP IRA - Contractor vs. Employee of a contracting firm
- Replies: 9
- Views: 452
Re: Question on SEP IRA - Contractor vs. Employee of a contracting firm
A few years ago I worked as a contractor for Experis/ManpowerGroup. I was a W-2 employee of Experis, not an independent contractor at all. The work I was doing definitely did not qualify as "independent contractor" work (ie I did not set my own hours, or direct my own work, or use my own e...
- Thu Jul 16, 2020 1:32 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Groupon During Pandemic
- Replies: 11
- Views: 702
Re: Groupon During Pandemic
It seems to me you're tilting at windmills. Why would you even tell anyone on Facebook that you are using a coupon to get pizza? Believe me no one cares this much about the minutia of your life except the online equivalent of Mrs. Kravitz.
- Thu Jul 09, 2020 10:52 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: tax for self employment
- Replies: 26
- Views: 1061
Re: tax for self employment
I used FreeTaxUSA for my combined W2 and 1099 income. Not entirely as user friendly as TurboTax but pretty close. Federal is completely free and state is usually $10-12.
- Thu Jul 09, 2020 9:25 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: tax for self employment
- Replies: 26
- Views: 1061
Re: tax for self employment
I did not get any question regarding self employment earnings, they asked for earned income and unearned income, which bucket does this self employment income fall under ? Self employment income is earned income. When it asked for employment status did you answer that she was BOTH employed and self...
- Thu Jul 09, 2020 8:31 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: tax for self employment
- Replies: 26
- Views: 1061
Re: tax for self employment
There are multiple criteria for filing an income tax return. One is net self employment earnings over $400. Once you meet any of the filing requirements (or if you choose to file a return to reclaim withheld taxes), all self employment income must be reported and is taxed. Make sure to reduce the 10...
- Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:10 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Where can I find a simple, lightweight changing table that's made in USA/Canada/Europe/Japan/Australia or New Zealand?
- Replies: 17
- Views: 1218
Re: Where can I find a simple, lightweight changing table that's made in USA/Canada/Europe/Japan/Australia or New Zealan
My Ikea changing table was made in China. So was the changing table pad.
- Mon Jul 06, 2020 9:14 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Where can I find a simple, lightweight changing table that's made in USA/Canada/Europe/Japan/Australia or New Zealand?
- Replies: 17
- Views: 1218
Re: Where can I find a simple, lightweight changing table that's made in USA/Canada/Europe/Japan/Australia or New Zealan
Make your own! This looks like a great project for beginners. https://ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/simple-changing-table Yes! That would be cool! Unfortunately I do not live in a house with extra space for woodworking tools, nor do I have any available nearby. I need to buy something prebuilt...
- Sun Jul 05, 2020 10:27 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Where can I find a simple, lightweight changing table that's made in USA/Canada/Europe/Japan/Australia or New Zealand?
- Replies: 17
- Views: 1218
Re: Where can I find a simple, lightweight changing table that's made in USA/Canada/Europe/Japan/Australia or New Zealan
Make your own! This looks like a great project for beginners.
https://ana-white.com/woodworking-proje ... ging-table
https://ana-white.com/woodworking-proje ... ging-table