Search found 957 matches

by mariezzz
Sun Mar 19, 2023 7:03 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Understanding an Inherited IRA (Traditional) under the Secure Act
Replies: 8
Views: 788

Re: Understanding an Inherited IRA under the Secure Act

Terminology with Inherited IRAs gets confusing. For Inherited Roth IRAs (OP is unclear whether IRA is traditional or Roth - rules for Inherited Traditional IRAs are somewhat different): Read this thread, https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6924533#p6924533, particularly all the posts by Alan S, and particularly the one from Thu Oct 20, 2022 12:00 pm which says, in part, "Very clearly, an inherited Roth IRA subject to the 10 year rule will NOT be subject to annual RMDs per the IRS proposal. All Roth owners pass prior to RBD. Unless the beneficiary seriously needs distributions, an inherited Roth should not be touched until year 10 to allow more time to generate tax free gains. At 5 years, even if the Roth owner made their f...
by mariezzz
Tue Mar 07, 2023 2:18 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Libre office
Replies: 23
Views: 2827

Re: Libre office

If you're more of an advanced user with Excel, you may find that certain things in Excel are not compatible with LibreOffice Calc. For most people, who aren't advanced users, there likely won't be any problem with Libre Office Calc. I have been using LibreOffice on a computer bought 2 years ago, and it works, with some headaches. But I use MS Office at work, and it can be frustrating that certain things either cannot be done in LO, or are just a little more of a pain. for example, in MS Office Excel, I can do control-shift-L to apply or remove a filter, but so far, I haven't found that there's a keyboard command in LibreOffice to do the same. Instead, in LO, I have to use the menus to put on and remove a filter. (Would love to have someone ...
by mariezzz
Mon Mar 06, 2023 9:52 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Taxes on dividend income paid out between death and retitling to beneficiaries, for funds and stocks that within a trust
Replies: 5
Views: 356

Re: Taxes on TOD dividend income paid out between death and retitling to beneficiaries

Thanks for your reply.

As I said in OP,
when I read IRS Pub 559, it seemed that there is at least the option of the estate paying the taxes on these dividends.
- can anyone provide information on this?

I don't understand whether it's (1) usually better for the beneficiaries to pay the taxes (because in most cases, the total tax owed will be lower), but the estate could file and pay the taxes; or (2) is it required that beneficiaries pay the taxes on TOD dividend income paid out between death and retitling to beneficiaries?
by mariezzz
Mon Mar 06, 2023 9:40 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Taxes on dividend income paid out between death and retitling to beneficiaries, for funds and stocks that within a trust
Replies: 5
Views: 356

Taxes on dividend income paid out between death and retitling to beneficiaries, for funds and stocks that within a trust

Edit note: I edited the title to indicate that the funds and stocks were within a trust before distribution and retitling. I also removed "TOD" below and from the title - I'm not sure that is correct, given that the funds and stocks were either within a trust or the trust was a beneficiary. --------- Fundamental question: Does the estate have the option of paying taxes on the TOD dividend income which is paid out prior to retitling the funds to the beneficiaries (rather than the beneficiaries paying the taxes on anything paid out before retitling), for funds and stocks that are within a trust. Background: I'm one of a number of beneficiaries to a fairly small estate (equity and bond fund value around one million) that was set up w...
by mariezzz
Sun Feb 26, 2023 1:21 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Negotiating during due diligence?
Replies: 49
Views: 4135

Re: Negotiating during due diligence?

This is where our opinions strongly differ ... whether or not nitpicking based on an inspection on things Buyer knew/reasonably should have known equals "Buyer exercising a legitimate contractual option". We'll have to agree to disagree. I'm not the only one in this thread that has taken this opinion. I strongly believe in inspections before purchasing, but this exact scenario is why many sellers try to avoid them. Sellers can limit standard inspection contingencies in various ways, and I'd suggest sellers think early on about how to handle modifying them. I'd advise Sellers to always have a very short period for inspection: no more than 2 or 3 calendar days after signing the purchase agreement to do the inspection, and no more th...
by mariezzz
Sun Feb 26, 2023 9:54 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best Vacuum Cleaners
Replies: 110
Views: 6966

Re: Best Vacuum Cleaners

I watched this YouTube channel for vacuum reviews and teardowns - https://www.youtube.com/@PerformanceReviews The guy behind the channel is a vacuum repair technician. The best vacuum (in his opinion) is a whole house central vacuum. I think he uses an MD central vacuum in his home. . I agree. If you are planning to stay in your house for 7+ years (and in some cases, less), and can install a central vacuum relatively easily (and cheaply, esp. DIY), I'd do the central vacuum. In many houses, this is possible. Find a central point in your house where you can put the base canister, and are able to (easily) run the tubing to the other floors and install the connection point in the walls. Decent quality central vacuums last much longer than mos...
by mariezzz
Sun Feb 26, 2023 8:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Negotiating during due diligence?
Replies: 49
Views: 4135

Re: Negotiating during due diligence?

If the seller decides to walk, what will that do to your relationship with your spouse, who you have said is really emotionally attached to the property? And what about your own self-respect? The Seller has the right to decline to adjust the price, or suggest a difference price. That’s the only option the Seller has - he can’t unilaterally walk. It really depends on the specifics of how the purchase agreement is written. The purchase agreement may provide for other escape clauses for the seller - e.g., agreement has a 5 day attorney review period, and the inspection had to be done within 2-3 days (not uncommon in a relatively strong seller's market; if it is a really strong seller's market, most sellers wouldn't even have accepted an offer...
by mariezzz
Sun Feb 26, 2023 8:21 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Negotiating during due diligence?
Replies: 49
Views: 4135

Re: Negotiating during due diligence?

The inspection contingency is supposed to be for unexpected deficiencies . The sellers were open and honest in their disclosures, as the inspection report appears to confirm. So, the spirit of the purchase agreement would be to stay within the terms the deal —ie ask for a discount just on the things that were not disclosed or ask for a home warranty. ^This. The fact that one can choose act badly does not mean one should act badly. All too often, buyers try to (mis)use the inspection contingency to re-negotiate the sales price when (some or all of) the "problems" were such that any buyer should have been or was aware of them. This is a situation of nitpicking about a relatively small amount, and the buyer agreed to the purchase pr...
by mariezzz
Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:49 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do you spend $ on umbrella insurance coverage or an attorney on retainer?
Replies: 103
Views: 8160

Re: Do you spend $ on umbrella insurance coverage or an attorney on retainer?

For the OP's question: I'd make the decision about when you need umbrella insurance based on the value of funds held outside of 401k's - and if your state has strong creditor (law suit) protections for IRA, then also value of funds held outside of IRAs. If you expect to have high annual income in future, that also might factor into it. Increasing your auto and home insurance liability to $500K is the first step - and this is a fairly cheap thing to do. Then, if you still have substantial creditor exposure (beyond the $500K) outside of well-protected insurance accounts (for IRAs, that depends on your state), you can consider umbrella insurance. The decision in part depends on how much you worry about a law suit. As someone pointed out, umbre...
by mariezzz
Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do you spend $ on umbrella insurance coverage or an attorney on retainer?
Replies: 103
Views: 8160

Re: Do you spend $ on umbrella insurance coverage or an attorney on retainer?

I would like to know if anyone has invested money in their personal finances to purchase umbrella insurance to cover unforeseen circumstances, or if anyone has spent money on having an attorney on retainer? Are these "defensive" forms of protection worthwhile for individuals with net worths of at least $1 million? Today, I do not have either and was imagining unforeseen incidents for which I might wish to have a plan. I am not sure if it is worth the investment. Thank you. In today’s litigious environment, I would purchase an umbrella, which would cover your losses. It’s a nominal expense versus the coverage it provides. Not sure an attorney on retainer makes sense for me, as the insurance company has a high vested interest in de...
by mariezzz
Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Real street address for a po box?
Replies: 9
Views: 706

Re: Real street address for a po box?

My company is now a bit concerned about FedEx actually delivery an overnight letter (i.e. will the guy actually want to go into a post office, wait in line, get a signature...?). In any case, are there any similar places (not UPS as there isn't one near me, the one in my town closed last year) that offer these types of street addresses? I'm in a small-ish town and there just aren't many packing/shipping types of places, and none that I know of offer boxes (with or w/o a street address). I doubt the FedEx guy has to go to the customer line to deliver an overnight letter. USPS has contracts with FedEx, Amazon, and UPS for last-mile delivery, and I'm sure those companies don't wait in the customer line to drop off what the USPS will deliver &...
by mariezzz
Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:22 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: which sonicare?
Replies: 15
Views: 1209

Re: which sonicare?

Onlineid3089 wrote: Fri Feb 10, 2023 11:00 am If you don't leave the heads on it doesn't stay damp and you don't get hardly any of the gross buildup, what little bit does happen is easily noticed and wiped off. We still use the e series. One handle with two heads, one for me one for DW. Neither head stays on the handle, they're only on while actually brushing. The shelves in our bathroom mirror cabinet are metal so the heads stick right to it with their magnetic base and stay standing up.
Thanks for the useful hint.
by mariezzz
Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:12 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: $60k in I bonds this year a must?
Replies: 47
Views: 8191

Re: $60k in I bonds this year a must?

The Finance Buff has some web pages that talk about advantages of I-bonds vs Treasuries vs. TIPS. If you haven't read those, plus other threads here, would be worth it. They helped me to start wrapping my mind around strategies for using these - but I'm still learning.

One difference: you only pay tax on I-bond interest when you sell (or when they mature). Whether that's an advantage depends on your situation.
by mariezzz
Fri Feb 10, 2023 11:47 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: IRS form 8949; inherited stock (in 2022). Basis on some shares reported on 1099; other shares not reported.
Replies: 7
Views: 365

Re: IRS form 8949; inherited stock (in 2022). Sale on some shares reported on 1099; other shares not reported.

In response to part of Celia's post: I only have to worry about long term gains/losses since shares were inherited. But thanks for the breakdown of variations of the form. Also, all shares of a given stock were sold on the same day (and the sale went through on that day for all shares). Do you mean that the sale itself is not reported, or that the basis for those shares is not shown? Sorry, I was unclear/misspoke. The cost basis isn't reported - and for form 8949, it seems that makes a difference. Thus, the question: do I need 2 different versions of the form (which I guess I do, given another answer above). I asked Computershare and they said "Please be informed that cost basis was stepped up during transfer. However, not all shares w...
by mariezzz
Fri Feb 10, 2023 10:18 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: IRS form 8949; inherited stock (in 2022). Basis on some shares reported on 1099; other shares not reported.
Replies: 7
Views: 365

IRS form 8949; inherited stock (in 2022). Basis on some shares reported on 1099; other shares not reported.

Question regarding IRS form 8949. I inherited stock (in 2022; not a huge value). I sold 3 of these stocks in 2022. For each stock, the [edit to clarify: the cost basis on the ] sale of some shares is reported on a 1099; and the [edit to clarify: the cost basis on the ] sale of other shares not reported. I believe this is because some of the shares were originally acquired (by the person I inherited them from) before there were reporting requirements, and so[edit to clarify: including the cost basis on the]1099 isn't necessary. Since these shares were inherited, the gains/losses are all long-term. Also, the basis Computershare has for each stock is off a little - as I understand it, my basis in the stock is the closing price as of the day th...
by mariezzz
Fri Feb 10, 2023 10:01 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: which sonicare?
Replies: 15
Views: 1209

Re: which sonicare?

I use the e-series. Take off the brush head and use rubbing alcohol prep-pad every few weeks to wipe down the threads on the brush head and the base, plus the interior of the base. This helps reduce the bacteria (or whatever causes the build-up; I find there's less build-up when I do this). The plastic housing (dome-like) will usually come off the brush head pretty easily. If you press down the flexible plastic, you can usually get water inside the plastic housing of the to rinse out some build-up. I've seen posts elsewhere where people say they have wrapped tightly part of a rubber glove around the upper flexible part to reduce this build-up - I've never tried it. I've been using my current e-series sonicare for 7-8 (or maybe more) years. ...
by mariezzz
Fri Feb 10, 2023 9:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What's worth paying more for?
Replies: 267
Views: 28871

Re: What's worth paying more for?

I'm willing to pay more for eggs when I know the chickens are treated better and killed humanely - either because I buy locally, or because their a reliable certifying agency involved. Same for chickens beef, and pork; many dairy products. For food, I shop strategically but will pay more for organic food esp. things that generally taste better when grown organically. Canned San Marzano tomatoes are worth the money if you're making a dish that's heavy on tomatoes. Agree with buying better socks, shoes (but I'll search for deals on the better quality items). I'm willing to pay more for things when I know they're better quality and will last longer - this is getting harder to find though. Also, if made in a country where workers are paid bette...
by mariezzz
Fri Feb 10, 2023 9:07 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Converting 457 Retirement Acct into Roth IRA
Replies: 27
Views: 2058

Re: Converting 457 Retirement Acct into Roth IRA

Mikefixac, I am just curious, What is the scenario where converting a government 457 to a Roth will be advantageous? I am in the same boat, but thought that there is nothing to overcome the tax hit that you will take converting it. One scenario: If someone retires early and doesn't have any (or has relatively little) taxable income, they could convert at least part of a 457b (or a traditional IRA, or 401k/403b [assuming they can avoid the 10% penalty - or have decided paying the penalty is worth it, given their situation])to a Roth IRA - choosing an amount that keeps their taxable income within whatever tax bracket they feel is advantageous enough for their situation. This can help keep taxable income later in life lower (income due to req...
by mariezzz
Fri Feb 10, 2023 8:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Real street address for a po box?
Replies: 9
Views: 706

Re: Real street address for a po box?

I was glad to see USPS adding the option for a street address for PO boxes. Other companies like the UPS stores were charging a lot and making a lot of money by offering this service. I'd rather support the USPS. And many of the post offices that offer this service also have parcel lockers and extended lobby hours. It gives people who live in apartments and/or who move frequently good options - if necessary, you can cancel PO boxes and get a certain percent of money back (goes in 3 month blocks). And if you sign up for informed delivery (free) you can see what mail is on its way to you.
by mariezzz
Mon Jan 30, 2023 7:51 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Dentist called 6 months later to get their discount back
Replies: 41
Views: 6514

Re: Dentist called 6 months later to get their discount back

Ask to talk directly to the dentist. See if you can jog his memory and get him to honor the agreement. Also, consider filing a complaint with the attorney general if dentist doesn't honor the agreement. Since the dentist made a special deal with you, I think this falls under attorney general (essentially, he violated a verbal contract) and not insurance commissioner (this isn't an insurance issue). It's better to try to resolve it than ignore it. Hi A dentist gave me a 50% discount on my co-pay to make a crown. They called me recently (After 6 months) asking me to pay the remaining 50% and deny that a discount was given. They say that paying only 50% was a miscalculation which is not true. Any thoughts? Everybody needs to know the details o...
by mariezzz
Mon Jan 30, 2023 7:28 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Methods for FIRE while avoiding the 10% early withdraw penalty
Replies: 16
Views: 1495

Re: Methods for FIRE while avoiding the 10% early withdraw penalty

1. Rule of 55. Separating from service in the year you turn 55 can enable 401(k) withdrawals without penalty. Google for more. Clarification: This only applies to the 401k/403b from an employer that you separate from in the year you turn 55 or older that 55. Another option would be to work for an employer with a government 457, contribute the max allowed to the 457 for a couple of years, then live off of the 457. And beef up your Roth funds in that period too. If you do the 72t (substantially equal periodic payments) be aware of all the dangers - you have to do it perfectly, or else you could incur a big tax obligation. Whether or not you can retire soon (before you turn 50) depends in large part on your anticipated spending. If you planne...
by mariezzz
Mon Jan 30, 2023 7:04 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Taxable status for Vanguard cash funds (VUSXX VMSXX VYFXX VMFXX)
Replies: 12
Views: 1763

Re: Taxable status for Vanguard cash funds (VUSXX VMSXX VYFXX VMFXX)

increment wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 7:02 am
mariezzz wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 6:58 am For federal taxes, I'm assuming I can reduce the dividends to exclude income from US government obligations?
No, it's the "municipal" (not the federal) bonds that are tax free for federal purposes.
Thanks. Found this page that lists the states that allow some or all to be deducted. https://www.capitalgroup.com/individual ... streas.htm
by mariezzz
Mon Jan 30, 2023 6:58 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Taxable status for Vanguard cash funds (VUSXX VMSXX VYFXX VMFXX)
Replies: 12
Views: 1763

Re: Taxable status for Vanguard cash funds (VUSXX VMSXX VYFXX VMFXX)

I've never received much in dividends in these funds until this year. For federal taxes, I'm assuming I can reduce the dividends to exclude income from US government obligations? Can someone point me to the IRS publication that discusses how to do this - and if there's a good website out there that explains it well (or helps clarify certain things), that would be welcome.
by mariezzz
Fri Jan 27, 2023 3:34 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Roth or traditional 401k and 457
Replies: 21
Views: 1057

Re: Roth or traditional 401k and 457

We'll be 55 and 53 when we retire. Using current 2023 tax brackets the 12% bracket goes up to $83,550 and adding in the $27,700 standard deduction allows it to go up to $111,250. The pension would take up about half of that amount. How does spending from our taxable brokerage account factor in? We'd have roughly $90k in spending beyond the 12% bracket to account for (using current bracket figures). Could some come from our Roth and the rest from the taxable account that would have a 10% long term capital gains tax right? Using a 4% withdrawal rate from Roth and taxable would get us $80k. If you stay in your job until the year in which you turn 55, you can access your 401k _from that job_ without being subject to the 10% penalty for withdra...
by mariezzz
Fri Jan 27, 2023 3:25 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Morningstar discussing Trust planning
Replies: 2
Views: 365

Re: Morningstar discussing Trust planning

Discussion starts about 5:50
by mariezzz
Fri Jan 27, 2023 3:14 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do I need to create a trust?
Replies: 39
Views: 2447

Re: Do I need to create a trust?

Thanks for the feedback I'll give vanguard a call on how to achieve what I want to do ... I've done some more reading on probate in Washington state and although they state that it only happens on a small percentage of estates they go on to say that if you own real estate or have assets subject to probate exceeding $100,000 you may very well need to go through that process assets that have pay on death type beneficiaries are not probatable as I understand what I read on the Washington State website In your OP, you said you didn't have any real estate. But as an fyi - Washington has a Transfer on Death deed option. For many, that can take care of their biggest asset. Then you need to make sure your beneficiaries are explicitly stated on eve...
by mariezzz
Fri Jan 27, 2023 3:03 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Series I Bond Strategy for Y2023
Replies: 61
Views: 10465

Re: Series I Bond Strategy for Y2023

I plan to buy in January. I have the money, the value of inflation protection is more evident than it used to be, and I have no ability to predict the next fixed component, so see no point in waiting. I went to the TD web site last night and scheduled a purchase for today, January 27. Got a notification of an ACH pull from my bank this morning, so apparently it went through. It took me a while to remember how to make a purchase (there's a button near the top of the screen that takes you to that page), but otherwise no difficulties. This walks you through the process .... https://thefinancebuff.com/how-to-buy-i-bonds.html My purchase (Fri Jan 27) said it would be effective next business day (Mon Jan 30). So if you want to get the interest f...
by mariezzz
Fri Jan 27, 2023 2:50 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: At What Multiple of X Would You Be Comfortable to Semi-Retire?
Replies: 127
Views: 14694

Re: At What Multiple of X Would You Be Comfortable to Semi-Retire?

The idea of coastFIRE or whatever you are proposing doesn’t pass the smell test for me. If you are able to reliably work part time covering just your expenses while your portfolio grows, power to you. Very few people are able to make that work. Say your annual expenses are $60k. You need to make, I don’t know, $80k to get to $60k after taxes. Realistically how many part time jobs are paying $80k? And if you “downshift” to a “less stressful” job you more than likely are going to be working full time and trading one set of stressors for another set of stressors, all while making less money. Case in point — I make 2x - 3x what my SO makes. She works more hours and has higher stress levels than me. Part of the stress is self inflicted, part of...
by mariezzz
Fri Jan 27, 2023 2:34 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: [New to T-bill investing]
Replies: 2
Views: 325

Re: [New to T-bill investing]

Since you said you're new to T-bill investing:
Check out some of the posts at thefinancebuff.com He's created some good webpages with valuable info on investing in T-bills, TIPs, Ibonds, etc. It seems like it should be simple, but I'm finding all the details get really confusing, especially when you're trying to determine what is more advantageous in your situation at a given point in time.
by mariezzz
Fri Jan 27, 2023 1:41 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Vanguard website succumbs to "Fisher-Price" UI design
Replies: 702
Views: 61278

Re: Vanguard website succumbs to "Fisher-Price" UI design

Cheez-It Guy wrote: Fri Jan 28, 2022 8:46 am And we should not forget that investors are a monolithic group with one specific set of preferences that if implemented would surely fully satisfy everyone. Why doesn't a broker just do THAT?!
Seems like they could have parameters people could set to customize the information on the page (and the settings should be remembered the next time you log in).
by mariezzz
Fri Jan 27, 2023 9:53 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Fidelity HSA? Thinking of switching.
Replies: 49
Views: 5448

Re: Fidelity HSA? Thinking of switching.

stickstickly wrote: Fri Jan 27, 2023 8:04 am Lucky for you, you can initiate the whole thing from Fidelity's side online and not have to deal with faxing paper forms. My wife and I transfer ours every couple months, usually when our individual balances each exceed about $500. Just make sure your employer sponsored HSA doesn't have extra fees for doing transfers, and keep any minimum balance required by your workplace HSA so they don't close your account and/or charge you a fee.
Thanks for all the advice on transferring from Health Equity to Fidelity. I likely will be doing this in the next few months ... likely will be leaving my job.
by mariezzz
Fri Jan 27, 2023 9:41 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Portfolio help, advice about cash
Replies: 8
Views: 1278

Re: Portfolio help, advice about cash

Many consider a Roth IRA to be an emergency fund - you can withdraw the contributions without any penalty.
Given your age, and the amount you have saved, and your income, if you're comfortable with your risk level, I wouldn't worry too much. But be sure you're comfortable with it ... Would you be able to cut your spending quite a bit (25% or more) if lots of your circumstances changed towards worse for quite a while? I'd suggest really examining your spending - is what you're getting from that worth reducing how much you save? It might be - that's for you to decide.
by mariezzz
Fri Jan 27, 2023 9:17 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Determining house cost basis. Is referencing Zillow acceptable?
Replies: 29
Views: 2308

Re: Determining house cost basis. Is referencing Zillow acceptable?

Our tax preparer for the following year, who had her own tax preparation business for 20 years, said we owed 27k in capital gains taxes (if we could prove we spent 40k on improvements) because (she said) you can only take the capital gains exemption once every 7 years. Of course she was wrong, in that you only have to live in the house for 2 of the last 5 years to qualify for the exemption. Wow. I cannot believe a tax preparer was so ignorant. I would have looked into whether there was a state licensing office or any way to report her. That's a major, major error, for something where the IRS guidelines are very clear. This is why I have always done my own taxes (without tax software) - my situation has never been that complicated, and whil...
by mariezzz
Fri Jan 27, 2023 9:11 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Determining house cost basis. Is referencing Zillow acceptable?
Replies: 29
Views: 2308

Re: Determining house cost basis. Is referencing Zillow acceptable?

PUblication 523is here: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-523 See section "Reporting Gain or Loss on Your Home Sale". For primary residence who meet the "eligibility test": Most people won't have a taxable gain on their primary residence and won't have anything to report on their taxes, unless home has appreciated significantly in value, beyond the exclusion (that they qualify for) for a primary residence. If your home did appreciate quite a bit in value, then you need to look at what factors into determining the cost basis - Pub523 has details. If your primary residence appreciation is well under the exclusion you qualify for (250K per legal owner who qualifies for the exclusion - can be more than 2 owner...
by mariezzz
Thu Jan 26, 2023 10:15 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Age and probability of needing long term care?
Replies: 179
Views: 14231

Re: Age and probability of needing long term care?

The fact "that policies with long elimination periods are only about 10% cheaper" tells you something very important - that most people don't use expensive, labor intensive long-term care, or if they do, it's not for more than a year or two. ... However, I have read that the LTC insurance folks say that would not significantly reduce premiums. @prd1982, if you have links to anything about your last point, I would be interested. My intuition would have been that a policy with say a 3-year exclusion period would be much cheaper, unless it committed the insurer to pay a lot more in benefits conditional on getting past the exclusion period. Without going into the details, my conclusion was (and still is) that if I were to set the LTC ...
by mariezzz
Thu Jan 26, 2023 10:12 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Age and probability of needing long term care?
Replies: 179
Views: 14231

Re: Age and probability of needing long term care?

With long-term care insurance, it seems like you are blowing out a candle and making a wish that the company/policy will actually cover you when you need the care, and that you'll actually get the amount of care you were promised. (And, with some products, premiums may skyrocket, forcing you to reconsider whether you can afford the premium, or whether it's worth it.) Since you're less likely to be approved for a policy as you get older (and it will be more expensive), the advice is to buy such policies when you're younger ... which increases the amount of time before you're likely to need the policy, which increases the risk the company/policy will actually cover you when you need the care, and that you'll actually get the amount of care yo...
by mariezzz
Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:22 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: TurboTax won't import Vanguard Brokerage accounts
Replies: 22
Views: 2581

Re: TurboTax won't import Vanguard Brokerage accounts

I hate hate hate this. The stupid document ID is eleven characters long, presented grouped as 4-3-4. It has to be typed without being able to see what you've typed , there's no option to make it visible as you type. It is a mix of uppercase letters and numerals. Nothing says whether or not it's case-sensitive. I put "caps lock" on to be sure. It's broken into 4-3-4 grouping. Nothing says whether you are supposed to try to enter it that way. I guessed that you aren't and typed it as a solid block. Most seriously, it uses a character which could be either 0 or O, with no indication of how to tell. I judged it to be narrow and entered it as a zero, which turned out to be correct, but darn it, if you are going to ask people to enter ...
by mariezzz
Thu Jan 26, 2023 6:20 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Could someone help me understand exactly how GoodRX works?
Replies: 143
Views: 11860

Re: Could someone help me understand exactly how GoodRX works?

I've started asking doctors for paper prescriptions - they just print them out - and I use my Part D plan's and GoodRx's web sites to determine which is cheaper. Then I take the prescription to the pharmacy and tell them who to use. Interestingly, paper prescriptions are no longer allowed in California. https://www.mbc.ca.gov/Resources/Medical-Resources/e-prescriptions.aspx There's a list of exceptions at the page above, listing situations where paper prescriptions are allowed in CA. But I don't understand what the advantage of a paper prescription is. If you take a paper Rx in to a pharmacy, in order to give you a price, they need to put your paper prescription into their system ... and once they do that, they won't give you back the pape...
by mariezzz
Wed Jan 04, 2023 4:49 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do we need Private College counsellor for High School Sophomore?
Replies: 73
Views: 5675

Re: Do we need Private College counsellor for High School Sophomore?

William Million wrote: Wed Jan 04, 2023 12:45 pm Aside from Berkeley and UCLA, it's not too hard for a community college transfer student with 3.0+ GPA to get into the excellent UCs. 2 years of community college in Calif is virtually free, so that's a plan.
And you can get many of those credits while still in high school, although you want to keep your GPA up, so factor in whether the student is ready for community college.
by mariezzz
Wed Jan 04, 2023 9:51 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Are you seeing home prices go down in your area?
Replies: 49
Views: 3912

Re: Are you seeing home prices go down in your area?

cadreamer2015 wrote: Wed Jan 04, 2023 9:11 am Zillow says our home has dropped in value by 15% since a peak in May 2022. That is still 66% higher than we paid 6 years ago. Since we are not planning on selling, this information is not actionable for us.
Yeah, but in some/many urban areas, the peak in May 2022 was 20% higher than it was a year earlier. As mentioned, many houses are simply selling at the already inflated prices from 2020 or maybe 2021.

Low inventory is keeping prices quite elevated. People with mortgages in the 3-4% range are not motivated to move and take on mortgages in the 6-7% range. Will have to see what happens in the spring.
by mariezzz
Wed Jan 04, 2023 9:38 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Employer withheld retirement info
Replies: 55
Views: 4801

Re: Employer withheld retirement info

Ignoring whether a Roth IRA would have been a better option for you long-term ... How is it that the HR director knew about this, but the president & CEO did not? When was the option added? (the company that administers your 403b account might be able to tell you this). Who is responsible for making people, including new hires, aware of company benefits? Seems like that person isn't doing their job well, and that may be causing potential new employees to go elsewhere. People (outside of HR) involved in hiring should have some idea about available benefits, although best to always refer potential employees to the company expert for those details. ... It's 30 people, with probably one of them directly responsible for presenting the info ...
by mariezzz
Wed Jan 04, 2023 9:17 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Unhappy with Vanguard - any advice on moving to Fidelity? [Incorrect RMD]
Replies: 54
Views: 6448

Re: Unhappy with Vanguard - any advice on moving to Fidelity?

This doesn't apply to OP given when the Roth IRA was inherited, but for others who have inherited Roth IRAs since Secure Act 2019 took effect: the last time I checked (about a week ago), Vanguard's website was still saying that all inherited Roths are subject to RMDs - which isn't correct for many. RMDs are not required if you inherited a Roth after Secure Act 2019 took effect and are a "designated beneficiary" (not an "eligible designated beneficiary"). Alan S. has posted on this in threads; see below. If you inherited a Roth IRA after Dec 31 2019 and are a "designated beneficiary", you are subject to the 10 year rule; see below. (It's amazing how much confusion there is over this. The IRS could easily clear u...
by mariezzz
Wed Jan 04, 2023 8:06 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do we need Private College counsellor for High School Sophomore?
Replies: 73
Views: 5675

Re: Do we need Private College counsellor for High School Sophomore?

Guide your child on investigating their college options ... do not do the legwork for them. You do not help your child grow if you're doing the work. Discuss with your child options for high school students to do some classes during the regular school year at a community college, but the child should do the work involved to get approved for this. In part, whether to do this depends on your child, and how mature and motivated they are. But taking at least a few classes can help them wake up to how undemanding most high school classes are, and to make the adjustment to college classes (many of which are less demanding than they used to be, although it depends on the class). Your child may also like the greater freedom they get by leaving the ...
by mariezzz
Wed Jan 04, 2023 7:59 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Employer withheld retirement info
Replies: 55
Views: 4801

Re: Employer withheld retirement info

Ignoring whether a Roth IRA would have been a better option for you long-term ... How is it that the HR director knew about this, but the president & CEO did not? When was the option added? (the company that administers your 403b account might be able to tell you this). Who is responsible for making people, including new hires, aware of company benefits? Seems like that person isn't doing their job well, and that may be causing potential new employees to go elsewhere. People (outside of HR) involved in hiring should have some idea about available benefits, although best to always refer potential employees to the company expert for those details. What company manages the 403b? Is the Roth option fairly visible on that company's interface...
by mariezzz
Wed Jan 04, 2023 7:48 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Citi Costco card loses extended warranty Jan 2023
Replies: 66
Views: 7874

Re: Citi Costco card loses extended warranty Jan 2023

I'm thinking that part of the reason so many cards are doing away with extended warranty is that so many products are built so poorly these days.
Citi could consider offering that just on products purchased at Costco, as Costco is motivated to choose products that are built a little better, since Costco also has a better returns policy than most retailers.
by mariezzz
Mon Jan 02, 2023 4:06 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Anyone buying I-bonds today?
Replies: 85
Views: 11401

Re: Anyone buying I-bonds today?

No, we are not planning to. By way of background, my wife and I purchased the maximum amount for 2022 in April and then filled our gift boxes to each other for both 2023 and 2024 (also in April of 2022). We locked in ~7.1% annualized from April through Sept of 2022, then stepped up to ~9.6% annualized on Oct 1 and will enjoy this rate till March of 2023. We will then get ~6.5% annualized from April through Sept of 2023 at which point we will move to the rate effective May 1 2023. My guess is that rate won't be nearly as attractive as the prior rates and we may sell all these I bonds in Jan of 2024. Because we have used our allotments for 2023 and 2024 the only way for us to buy more (if we wanted to) would be gift boxes for 2025. I'm not t...
by mariezzz
Mon Jan 02, 2023 3:53 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Citibank credit card - can you win a dispute?
Replies: 91
Views: 10828

Re: Citibank credit card - can you win a dispute?

OP, I do not dispute my charges with the merchant. I always dispute my charges via my credit cards (chase and citi). The only exceptions were my purchase from amazon. I never have any problem. I do not understand why folks want to dispute their charges with the merchants. I would let my credit card deal with them. KlangFool To be clear, I did dispute it with Citibank (the CC company). I tried to work it out with the merchant first. The credit card company doesn't want to do customer service for a merchant. However, getting through via chat or phone is next to impossible. I spent over 1 hour on ONE of the 4 overcharges (and then never got the credit) on chat. Then I disputed it with Citibank (my credit card company) who denied it even thoug...
by mariezzz
Mon Jan 02, 2023 3:08 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Better cold weather walking shoes?
Replies: 29
Views: 2787

Re: Better cold weather walking shoes?

As kids, before going out to play in snow, we put bread bags over our socks before putting on boots. Kept our feet dry, and made putting the boots on easier.

If I'm out walking in wet, cold weather, it's wool socks and I might just put thin plastic bags over my socks before putting on my regular walking shoes, depending on how cold & wet it is, and how far I plan to walk.
by mariezzz
Mon Jan 02, 2023 2:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What to do with unused pens?
Replies: 26
Views: 2241

Re: What to do with unused pens?

Can also put them in a clear plastic bag and leave in a little library. At least in my area, people leave (and take) various small things in the little libraries, not just books, and no one seems to care. But, better to not do this during freezing weather, if you live in areas that get such weather.
by mariezzz
Sat Dec 03, 2022 10:03 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: International stocks beat US stocks over the past year. Surprising?
Replies: 49
Views: 5278

Re: International stocks beat US stocks over the past year. Surprising?

Florida Orange wrote: Sat Dec 03, 2022 8:44 pm
Triple digit golfer wrote: Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:29 pm
Doctor Rhythm wrote: Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:17 pm
Triple digit golfer wrote: Wed Nov 30, 2022 1:28 pm Reminds me of the Monty Python "I'd like to have an argument" skit.

No, it doesn’t.
Yes, it does.
You want room 12A, next door.
Precisely. That's contradiction.