Bogleheads.org

jefmafnl

We have US savings bonds, both physical (paper) and virtual (at Treasury Direct (TD)), which we probably will cash in next year for a down payment on a condo. I seem to remember reading horror stories on this site a few years ago, about taking paper bonds to the bank, the bank sending them to the Tr...

jefmafnl

We are considering buying a condominium. I understand that we would need to buy "condo insurance." Is this fire and theft on the interior and the contents?

Do we also need an umbrella liability insurance policy?

Thanks!

J

jefmafnl

Thanks. I'm aware of the penalties and plan to prove "credible coverage".

J

jefmafnl

Yes, planning to also pay premiums for Part D.

What are web sources for typical Rx prices in the US? One excellent such source (can't remember the name) is not accessible from a non-US IP address.

Thanks.

J

jefmafnl

We (US expats who have lived in Europe for over 20 years, both 65+) will be returning to the US in late 2020 or early 2021. In putting together a budget, we are trying to make a reasonable estimate of out of pocket costs (copays, deductibles, stuff not covered) if we have "Original Medicare" (not Me...

jefmafnl

My brother and I (who live out of the area) are looking for an independent auto mechanic or repair shop (not a dealer) for the Chrysler 300 (approx. 5 years old) belonging to our Mom (94). She lives in Palm Desert, CA. If anyone has experience with this, I would appreciate your sending me a PM. Than...

jefmafnl

Thanks for your reply!

Most recently (criticism of Taxcaster) here:

viewtopic.php?t=256989

jefmafnl

[Topic merged to here. -- mod oldcomputerguy] We will be relocating to the US in 2021, after my retirement, following 26+ years of living in Europe. How hard is it for seniors (both over 65) to get a mortgage? The purchase price would be between about 2-1/2 and 3 times our Social Security and pensi...

jefmafnl

We will be relocating back to the US in 2021 after my retirement and 26+ years of living in Europe. We are considering San Jose, CA and Akron, OH, both for specific reasons. (Yes, we know that the costs are quite different!) Can anyone recommend an up-to-date income tax calculator online? I've been ...

jefmafnl

Many thanks to all who replied! The reason to move there would be to be close to family members who live in and near San Jose. By "close to downtown" I meant: not too far from the relatively new shopping area and the California Theater. But I also meant: not too far from a train station with access ...

jefmafnl

This paper had interesting ideas about adjustments to the SWR (Safe Withdrawal Rate): https://www.kitces.com/march-2012-issue-of-the-kitces-report-expanding-the-framework-of-safe-withdrawal-rates/ Two questions: --Since he talks about adjusting for taxes, is he calculating gross or after-tax withdra...

jefmafnl

Thanks to all who replied. We do have family there, and would like to be able to sometimes go into San Francisco. No particular neighborhood in San Jose selected yet...would prefer being within 5 miles of downtown. Santa Cruz is farther from San Francisco, and not that much cheaper, according to ren...

jefmafnl

My wife and I are planning to relocate to the US in 2021, after my retirement. We have lived in Europe since 1994. We would like to live in San Jose, California, and are trying to estimate the costs. Here is a list of estimates based on some Internet searching. (We understand that we will have to ap...

jefmafnl

We (Americans) have been living in Europe for many years and are making one of our trips to the US to visit family. If we don't have a card for Costco or Sam's Club or another membership club, is there a "best place to shop" for drugstore items? Or are the price levels at Target, Walgreens, CVS, etc...

jefmafnl

Probably not...the issue is allowing her to be there at all.

jefmafnl

My Mom is going into a memory care facility (in Palm Desert, California). They will not allow her longtime caregiver to work with her there unless she has a million dollar insurance policy. Can anyone recommend a good company that specializes in this type of insurance? Or should I just consult an "i...

jefmafnl

With a condominium, how much should one budget for (indoor) maintenance (plumbing, electric, appliances, etc.), including building up a reserve for major expenses? I've read that a rule of thumb for houses is 1 to 3 percent of the purchase price. Since we're talking about condos, not free-standing s...

jefmafnl

Thanks to all who replied. Dottie57 , could you please give me an idea of what the annual assessments were? RickBoglehead , did the HOA fee start at 500 per year or per month? Everyone , how much should one budget for (indoor) maintenance (plumbing, electric, appliances, etc.), including building up...

jefmafnl

My wife and I will probably relocate to the U.S. in 2021 after living in Europe for more than 26 years. We are trying to estimate the monthly costs of owning a condominium. We have thought of Mortgage payment Property insurance (including umbrella liability policy) Property taxes Monthly maintenance...

jefmafnl

Thanks, Elric!

J

jefmafnl

Thanks for the suggestion. I consider this separate from my AA...and I would prefer safe investments rather than stocks to provide the "inflation adjustments". TIPS or I Bonds make sense for the medium term. For the amounts needed for the initial years, I would want to consider the options listed in...

jefmafnl

I am trying to estimate what percentage of the initial monthly payments of a non-indexed pension that I would need to set aside as a reserve during the initial years (something like life expectancy divided by 2), so as to be able to "roll my own" inflation increases in subsequent years. In order to ...

jefmafnl

The Social Security statement shows dollar amounts per year, but not quarters.

To know if one has 40 credits: Does one simply divide the dollar amounts by the minimum amount per credit for each year?
Or does one need to call Social Security?

Thanks!

J

jefmafnl

Indeed no basis...all tax-deferred (contributions, interest, 50% matching of the total of contributions and interest).

So should I just make it part of our AA, or invest it more conservatively?

Thanks!

JK

jefmafnl

Can someone please provide a link to the Medicare site info on exactly what needs to be certified about an employment-based health insurance plan so that a later signup for Part B or Part D does not trigger penalties? I live in Europe and the insurance companies probably do not deal with this situat...

jefmafnl

I would like to roll over the value of my pension plan (STRS Ohio) to my (existing) Traditional IRA at Vanguard. I assume that if I ask the pension plan to execute this, and I specify the exact account in my IRA to receive the transfer, that's it? Or do I also need to notify Vanguard ahead of time? ...

jefmafnl

Ohio (STRS).

jefmafnl

If I roll it over, should I just make it part of my asset allocation, or invest it all in fixed income (bonds or CD’s)?

J

jefmafnl

I doubt that there will be any inflation adjustments in the foreseeable future. First they capped the maximum COLA; then they said no COLA's for the first 5 years of a pension; now it's no COLA's for anyone (including those already drawing benefits) until 2022 at the earliest. This brings up another...

jefmafnl

Pension payouts used to have COLA's. Then they were capped; then no inflation adjustments for first 5 years of a pension; now no increases for AT LEAST 3 years. Funding level is currently 75%, and they are on a longterm program to raise the level. So no guarantees as to if or when they will ever inc...

jefmafnl

Thanks for your replies. Since you asked: The short answer is: because I will want to start taking payments in about 2 years, and because the "return" via the pension payments is above the SWR that I would use, but below what Immediate Annuities quotes. The long answer is: My wife and I live in Euro...

jefmafnl

Thinking of rolling over a pension (lump sum) into a Traditional IRA (TIRA). Can I then put those funds into an immediate annuity, with the monthly payments going into the TIRA rather than being withdrawals? (I understand that I will need to take RMD's from the TIRA.) If so, am I limited to annuity ...

jefmafnl

Thanks. Any other replies?

J

jefmafnl

My wife and I live in Europe, but we are planning to retire in the US. Next month I will turn 65. I need to decide whether to begin drawing a small pension from a state teachers’ retirement system, based on a few years of teaching that I did a long time ago, or take a lump sum withdrawal and roll it...

jefmafnl

My wife and I live in Europe and have health insurance through my employer. We will probably move back to the US in 2021, shortly after I retire. When my wife turned 65, she signed up for Medicare Part A only. When we move back to the US, we will provide proof that we had health insurance so as to a...

jefmafnl

Mom (93) managed her own investments successfully for many years after Dad died. She invested a substantial portion of her assets in individual preferred stocks. I'm aware that many experts and Bogleheads do not recommend these, but she was convinced that they served her well, and her portfolio has ...

jefmafnl

Any other pre-retirees or retirees care to jump in?

J

jefmafnl

Bogleheads often say that the maximum potential loss in a "bear market" (barring unforeseen black swans) is 50% of one's stock allocation. So a 60/40 portfolio would be at risk of losing 30% of its value, a 40/60 portfolio 20% of its value, etc. (Yes, this may ignore factors such as dividends, or wh...

jefmafnl

Prediction: 2131.

jefmafnl

Suppose that one follows Larry's 25/5 rule (rebalance when an asset class or sub-class is off by 25%, or by 5% of total portfolio), or a variant such as 20/5, so as to control risk while benefiting from momentum. When one makes regular contributions (quarterly or monthly), and the allocation is only...

jefmafnl

(bump)

jefmafnl

Worked for nonprofit in foreign country. Probably have enough credits in the US for Soc. Sec. and Medicare...but how can we be sure that we have 40 quarters of coverage, to avoid paying premiums for Medicare Part A ? This info is not specifically shown on annual Soc. Sec. statements.

jefmafnl

(bump)

jefmafnl

My wife and I (US citizens) will probably return to the US in 2021, following my retirement from a job in Europe. What's the best way to keep up to date about developments affecting Medicare and Social Security? And what are the best resources, online or hard copy, regarding personal finance (moving...

jefmafnl

My mother (92) asked me to evaluate a particular brand of hearing aid for her. (She likes research before she actually tries a product, and she does not use the Internet.)

Is there an independent review site, or a (Boglehead-like) forum of hearing aid wearers?

Thanks!

J

jefmafnl

We plan to relocate to a large midwestern state in 2021, after almost 27 years of living in Europe. We will be 67/73. We may want to take out a 15-year mortgage to buy a condo. Our credit rating is in the high 700’s (Experian), and we would put 25% down. Mortgage payment would be about 29% of after-...

jefmafnl

What is your favorite (most accurate

) longevity calculator on the Internet?

Thanks.

J

jefmafnl

Thanks, retiredjg, tfb’s chart is indeed what I was looking for.

J

jefmafnl

Has that marvelous chart ("stacking") about the taxation of capital gains and other income been updated for the new tax law, in which AGI (adjusted gross income), rather than the top (incremental) tax rate for earned income, determines the rate of capital gains tax? And even if it has NOT been updat...

jefmafnl

How can an investor make QCD’s from a Vanguard IRA without setting up a DAF (Donor Advised Fund)? Is there a minimum donation?

J

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