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In my Florida neighborhood, a 5k sqft home was listed last July at $1.2MM. Definitely a bit high as it could use some updates, but still under the neighborhood avg. $/sqft.
Last week it sold for $900k after multiple price reductions, a 25% drop.

Not accurate. Our home's score is 84, however we live under a commercial flight path a few miles from the airport. There's quite a lot of airplane noise. Enough that we replaced all our windows/doors with hurricane impact primarily for the noise reduction benefits.

It's location specific, read reviews.
Ask the storage unit if they allow cylinder locks. They are the most secure and extremely challenging to break.

Are my calculations correct in assuming I can withdraw 12415 a month to get 12k after tax? This is based on this: Value of $144,000, and the cost basis of those securities is $120,000 (assuming 20% growth), then you have realized a capital gain of $24,000 so 15% + 5.75% of 24k = 4980/12 (415)

KlangFool wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 12:42 pm OP,

You did not provide the most important piece of information.

What is your annual expense?

KlangFool

Why is OP's annual expense the most important piece of information to determine if the tax calculations are correct? OP isn't asking if $7.12M is enough.

That being said, why carry the car loans?

While this won't help you learn public speaking, the best 'speaking hack' I ever learned was to eat a throat lozenge to calm your vocal cords before a big presentation or meeting.

This is the 7th year for us to purchase Series I bonds. $10K each + $5K via tax return. Only wish I hadn't ignored them for all those years and had started earlier. Oh well... Plan is to hold each to maturity with the plan to purchase another $25K in 2024 and 2025 and that'll likely be it. We'll have them maturing each year starting at age 86 through age 94 at that point. We'll of course continue to monitor the fixed rate to see if it ever makes sense to redeem any before maturity and purchase replacements, but it won't be a disaster if we never do that. Will it move the needle a lot? Probably not. "Just another brick in the wall" Cheers If you already know you want to purchase ibonds in 2024 and 2025, might be worth considering ...

Chan_va wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 8:13 am Why do you need to trade in the 2 seater at all? Are there times when both of you independently will need to transport the kid? If not, stick with the 2 seater and have fun for a few more years.

It's hard to imagine a lifestyle where you wouldn't need to independently transport the kid.

I traded in my 2dr Civic for a sports sedan and my wife got a Honda HRV. The HRV is the main family car and has plenty of space for strollers, scooters, bags, etc. We didn't see the need to upgrade to a CRV or Pilot.

My in-laws have a Forester and there's more than enough room for all our needs. All five of us fit. You don't need a huge car for one child.

Open different cards to earn sign-up bonuses. There are a few cards (Citi Premier, AMEX Platinum, etc.) that, with the right offer/link, can net you over $700 and provide additional perks.

Sign-up bonuses will yield better results than a high cash-back strategy.

StewedCarrot wrote: ↑Sun Feb 05, 2023 7:26 am None. They’re just for fashion now. It’s like asking what kind of dress shoes someone is wearing today.

This thread is disproving the idea that BH watches are just for fashion. Quite a lot of responses are for Casio G-shocks, Apple watches, or a fitness alternative.

dred pirate wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 11:52 am
so the link has bad info?

I made a similar post a week ago. It was an unwelcome surprise for me too.

viewtopic.php?t=396183

Casio G-Shock DW5600E-1V for the last year.

I wore an inherited Rolex Date daily for about 20yrs and had it serviced just once. The time finally started slipping so I sent it to Rolex and they quoted $1,500 for overhaul and parts. Instead I went with the Casio G-Shock. One day I'll have the Rolex serviced and give it to my son.

PiratePenguin wrote: ↑Thu Feb 02, 2023 10:32 am My new company would deposit $1,100, and she's already had $2193.74 taken out of her paychecks

PiratePenguin wrote: The first employer $1400 is counted in that $2193.74 figure, so it is $2193.74+$4456.26+$1100 = $7,750

Just checking, so she had $2,193.74 - $1400 = $793.74 taken out of her paychecks. If so, then you're correct.

I'm in the same situation. I just initiated my 401k rollover to an IRA on Wednesday.

Merrill Edge is offering a $1,000 bonus for the transfer. That covers less than 0.4% of the 1.47% increase yesterday. Oh well, there's nothing I can do about it. Already feeling the pain but I'm going to try to not look at the market until the transfer has been completed.

The answer is to put the $150k in the market and re-enter as soon as you can. And then move on.

Beachey wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 2:54 pm With a single child, you would be better off putting in $5000 in your DCFSA, since the Child Tax Care Credit for a single child is limited to $3000. In that scenario, you would not claim any Child Tax Credit but would get the benefit of Federal+State+FICA which is more than the 20% of the Child Tax Care Credit.

We elected $5,000 but the plan period is from 7/1 to 6/30 and the 2022 contributions added up to $2,700.

I don't want to use the same dollars for both benefits. In the example above there's $5,000 into the DC FSA and also $4,000 out of pocket. I have $2,700 into the DC FSA and $7,300 out of pocket. "You can use up to $3,000 of your out-of-pocket expenses not paid by your FSA to lower the amount of taxes you might owe." How can I do that if TurboTax deducts the DC FSA contributions from the $3,000 instead of treating them separately The moment you elected a DC FSA for the year, you are effectively reducing any credit you can claim. As you have put in $2,700, you can only claim expenses of $300 towards your credit. This $2,700 has already lowered your taxable income on your W2. Luckily, it does look like you made the correct decision....

You cannot analyze it on your effective tax rate, you should instead look at your marginal tax rate. What tax bracket are you in? Also consider the impact of state tax rates and FICA tax rates in your analysis. You're right. It's been a long week. I'll be in the 22% bracket for 2022. Can You Use Both Dependent Care FSA and Dependent Care Tax Credit? You can use a dependent care FSA in conjunction with the dependent care tax credit. However, the same dollars can’t count for both benefits. For example, let’s say you pay for childcare for one dependent so you can work full-time. You put $5,000 into your FSA and also pay $4,000 out of pocket for childcare. As a result, your FSA contributions lower your taxable income. Plus, when you file taxes...

In other words the two benefits don't stack on top of each other. They are used up at the same time. Ouch, this is news to me. I thought I'd need a minimum of $5,700 in expenses to use both the $2,700 DC FSA and $3,000 C&DC Care Credit. That hurts twice. My effective tax rate was ~10% last year and will be around the same this year. So I traded $3,000 @ 20% (based on income) of the C&DC Care Credit for $2,700 @ 10% DC FSA? I read on SmartAsset.com: https://smartasset.com/taxes/dependent-care-fsa-vs-dependent-care-tax-credit Can You Use Both Dependent Care FSA and Dependent Care Tax Credit? You can use a dependent care FSA in conjunction with the dependent care tax credit. However, the same dollars can’t count for both benefits. For...

I have one child and had over $10,000 in child care expenses for 2022. I contributed $2,700 to a Dependent Care FSA.

My understanding is that the $2,700 would be subtracted from the $10,000 and that I would still have $3,000 in eligible expenses for the Child and Dependent Care Credit. TurboTax correctly subtracts the $2,700 from the $10,000 to say I have $7,300 in eligible expenses, however the summary screen subtracts the $2,700 again.

Eligible dependent care expenses: $3,000
Dependent care benefits from your W-2: $2,700
Expenses eligible for credit: $300

Shouldn't the expenses eligible for credit be $3,000 since I had over $7,300 in expenses after subtracting the DCFSA amount?

Kaizen Soze wrote: ↑Thu Jan 19, 2023 11:57 am To my knowledge, it's irrelevant when you make your contributions. The plan doesn't care about the contribution schedule, only the amount within the plan period.

Please disregard the above. I received confirmation that regardless of the plan period, the IRS still looks at contributions from 1/1 through 12/31.

I need to choose a medical plan for myself and my 2yr old son. Looking over the last 2 years, we've come out ahead using a HDHP. However this year I have some check-up medical procedures (CT scan and ultrasound). Overall we're both in good health and everywhere I go is in-network.

My son caught a few fevers last year, the cost difference would have been $600 less using In-Network vs HDHP. Last year we spent a combined total of $2k on doctor visits/prescriptions.

Federal tax bracket: 24%
State tax: N/A



Which plan would you choose?

Wifi thermostat
Motion activated garage lights
Garage keypad
Smart plugs for outdoor lighting
Soft close toilet seats

If someone is not willing to let their kids worked in high school, why should they expect their kids to work in college? KlangFool In summary, if you believe that your kid should work during college, why not start them on some jobs in high school? If you did not do that, why you and them expect them to work in college? Ditto on budgeting, grocery shopping, cooking, and all other basic living stuff. KlangFool By that logic, if you expect your kid to work in high school, why not start them on some jobs in middle school? And if you expect your kid to work in middle school, why not start them on some jobs in elementary school? Nothing is wrong with expecting your kid to start working in college if they didn’t work in high school. Gotta start s...

I purchased my diploma frames from Michael's for ~$20/each.

Tell your advisor no because it's too complicated for you to understand. If they push back, say there are too many moving parts and you like to keep things simple.

I'm in a similar scenario. To my knowledge, it's irrelevant when you make your contributions. The plan doesn't care about the contribution schedule, only the amount within the plan period. Example: You had $5k eligible expenses in July. You can withdraw the $5k in July and have whatever contribution schedule the plan allows for the next 11 months. You've already used the $5k for the July '22 to June '23 period and cannot be reimbursed for any expenses from Aug '22 to June '23. My scenario is that I'm trying to change from my wife's July - June period to my Jan - Dec period. We claimed the $5k in December. I'm in open enrollment and want to know if I can open my own FSA for 2023 for $5k only using expenses from July '23 - Dec '23, after my w...

Wannaretireearly wrote: ↑Mon Jan 16, 2023 2:18 am Save as much as you spend. I’m not quite there, but at the beginning of the year, it is a good goal setting exercise.

OP is already doing that. He saves plenty. From what I’ve read he hasn’t mentioned any financial goals. He should establish a goal, even if it’s “continue to save as much as we spend.”

We travel frugally, pack food when we can, stay with points as much as possible and we always wonder, what are we doing wrong, when we see long lines on the business class check-ins at the airport and house-full Grand Hyatt! We also read news that luxury lounges, premium flight tickets, premium hotels and resorts are experiencing high demand. One way or the other, it looks like more people are earning more or spending more in America, on these compared to us. I even see private flight threads here in bogleheads :confused Now - we are not comparing, just analyzing and trying to understand the trends. You're comparing. And I imagine there are a lot of people, even on this forum, that would like to make over $200k (with a pension) and have a ...

Bump, has anyone had this situation before?

You should teach him a second language before the interview.

My wife's Dependent Care FSA coverage period is from 7/1 to 6/30. If I were to establish a Dependent Care FSA it would be from 1/1 to 12/31. In 2022 we funded her DCFSA with $5k and withdrew the full $5k in December with receipts. She's not happy with her provider and wants me to take over the DCFSA going forward. I'm about to make my 2023 elections at a new job.

Can I create a DCFSA and fund with $5k from my start date to 12/31? The new account will overlap with my wifes DCFSA account coverage until 6/30. Her balance is already $0 but she will continue having payroll deductions until 6/30. We'll incur another $5k in dependent care expenses from 7/1 to 12/31. Or do we need to completely skip a year and start my Dependent Care FSA on 1/1/24?

I'll soon be rolling over a 401k with $250k+ to ME for the $1k preferred rewards bonus. I max my Roth IRA every year.
The fine print isn't very clear to me.
1. ME will deposit $1k into my tIRA after the bonus terms are met.
2. I'll need to take a $1k distribution from the tIRA since I max my Roth.
3. I'll pay taxes on the $1k as interest income.
Is that correct?

Your income, pension, and health benefits are impressive. I know teachers with over 10yrs experience that earn less than $50k without a pension.

I don't think you're saving too much. It sounds like you're saving the appropriate amount. You made a great house purchase at an amazing rate, which provides a lot of financial flexibility for your family.

You're crushing it. Unless you feel deprived, keep it up!

“Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” - George Carlin

The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.
— Henry Ford

Will this company be paying for relocation fees or housing allowance? If not, then do it!

One of the best decisions I ever made was moving to south america on a whim in my early 20's. I had a part-time remote job.

I pointed out that asking for a number is not synonymous with receiving an offer. You stated disagreement, but I don't see how I could be wrong from any point of view. They are distinct actions that can be performed separately. I think your position is actually that anyone who asks for salary without giving a range will also give a low offer when the time comes. While that may often be the case, it need not be. Unlike your disagreement with my earlier statement, you could theoretically be correct that those actions always go together, but you have not established it to be true. AnEngineer, And, you know your position to be true because? A) You had personally received an offer much more than 15% of your desired salary? Or, B) You as a hirin...

London wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 4:36 pm Just put $1. There’s no reason to be combative and also no reason to think the employer cares what’s in that box.

The box is there, that's a reason to think the employer cares what's in the box.

NabSh wrote: ↑Thu Dec 29, 2022 8:42 am is your bonus a sign on bonus or annual bonus?

Annual bonus for 2022.

Only you can know if your background check will pass. Do your employment dates over the past 10 years match what they will find out? In a case I'm familiar with, there was a discrepancy found during a background check because one of the roles held by the prospective employee had been a contractor position followed by being an employee. Their role was the same (contractor and then employee), so the prospective employee described it as one role on their resume. The background check found that the previous employer had a shorter record of employment than was on the resume - due to the contractor role at the beginning. However, the hiring company simply asked the prospective new-hire to present evidence of employment for the unaccounted-for ti...

I was offered the job in November! I’ve signed a written offer with a start date. The manager wanted me to start ASAP, which would have been in November, however with slow processing the start date turned into December, which turned into mid-December, which due to a planned family trip turned into mid-January. I’ve submitted my background check and have no reason to think it wouldn’t clear. I asked the recruiter if the background check would clear before I hand in my notice and she said unlikely. It’s not a condition to start employment and may take awhile. The delays were mostly due to negotiating a full bonus for 2022, a significant sum. I’m already two months passed when the manager wanted me to start, my planned trip further delayed the...

We're in a similar boat, although we have 25% less income. We max everything, have our emergency funds in i-bonds, and no taxable accounts.

We opened a $100k HELOC to have access to a credit line. Let's us sleep a little better at night.

Update: I applied to the other role on Fri. 10/14. On Mon. 10/17 I received an email from the recruiter that she doesn't think this is the position the hiring manager was referring to. She said she's following up with the hiring manager to find the exact position.

Nothing since. I haven't and don't plan on contacting the recruiter again, however it's quite annoying. Obviously, I'd prefer standard rejection over positive feedback and ghosting.

As long as there is more than one family member on your HDHP, the HSA contribution limit will be $7,750 for 2023.

Another way to put it. Does your insurance track towards family totals (i.e. max out of pocket) on your HDHP? If yes, then you can follow family HSA limits.

SobeCane wrote: ↑Tue Oct 18, 2022 8:24 pm Why not do both since your daycare expenses will most likely exceed $5k for the year?

This. If your daycare expenses exceed $8k, max FSA and max Child Care and Dependent Tax Credit.

Certainly apply to every matching job to your skills. I've worked for many megacorps and have found that groups within megacorp never talk to each other about candidates they come across. Sometimes, they don't even talk within the group. I once got a job through a specialist recruiter. I had sent my resume to an acquaintance in the group looking for someone exactly like me so he could get the bonus for bringing someone in. They ignored me. I sent in several resumes to several groups including HR and heard nothing. The recruiter submitted my resume and asked me to not mention that I had sent in several resumes already. I ended up easily getting the job and the megacorp paid $40k to the recruiter. I have yet to find any business who has a cl...

Appreciate the feedback. My next step was going to be wait a few more days and apply, but I'll apply today.

I stumbled across an exciting Megacorp job posting the same day it was posted. I applied and had three interviews within two weeks. I think everything went well and I got along with the hiring manager. It's a new department, multiple positions available, and they want to ramp up within a few weeks. A week after my last interview my application status moved to completed. Two days later I emailed the recruiter to ask if a decision has been made. The recruiter responded that the hiring manager felt I would be better aligned and a great candidate for another req. Once she [recruiter] receives the details she'll invite me to apply. Another week goes by without communication. I checked the career site and found a very similar position recently po...

sk2101 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 7:55 am I have switched to Kin Insurance early in the year with a significant drop in premium. They are a new company and do not use brokers, you get a quote online. However I have suggested a few friends to get quotes from them and the results have been mixed - some lower and some higher than what they currently pay. Anyway it's worth a shot.

Thanks for the suggestion. As another data point, Kin's quote was higher than Citizens.

Parkinglotracer wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 5:29 am We are ready - we dodged a bullet with the storm so an assessment will be a small price to pay compared to what we were thinking was going to happen before the storm turned east. Wind forecast went from 110 knots to 60 knots. Phew! Thoughts go out to those affected by the storm.

I'm expecting that assessment, but am more concerned with future premium increases (including car insurance).

I'm thinking about getting flood insurance even though I'm not in a flood zone. It would have been pretty catastrophic if we got 3' of rain. I don't think my house is 3' above the wetlands in my backyard.

snackdog wrote: ↑Sat Oct 01, 2022 9:25 pm

Kaizen Soze wrote: ↑Fri Sep 30, 2022 9:01 am ...

Citizens only has the ability to pay ~$13Bn in claims but has over $350Bn in exposure. Now with the damage from Hurricane Ian, I fully expect an assessment. Hurricane Irma did $50Bn in damage, and that was before home prices took off.

Isn't that what "re-insurance" is for? Or do you mean they can pay $13 billion using their re-insurance?

Thanks

That's WITH their re-insurance.