Search found 59 matches

by ilskeptic
Thu Feb 04, 2021 2:53 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Genealogy
Replies: 108
Views: 12738

Re: Genealogy

Newspaper databases are good for more than obituaries: they can help you research your ancestors’ lives as well as their deaths. For instance, I learned from an 80-year-old newspaper that my grandfather, who ran a small local trucking business, testified for the prosecution against the boss of the local crime syndicate (Grampa had hauled sugar to bootleggers). Grampa died when I was 16, and I’d never heard that story. And old newspapers, especially in smaller communities, covered the minutiae of life in much greater detail than today’s media: who was in the school play, what your mother wore for her wedding and where your folks honeymooned, who was visiting whom. They’re a great resource. The bigger papers generally have their own online ar...
by ilskeptic
Thu Mar 28, 2019 8:19 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Tattoos and Bogleheads
Replies: 180
Views: 15251

Re: Tattoos and Bogleheads

I went my whole life without considering a tattoo. For one thing, I give blood, and for many years, a tattoo disqualified you from donating, at least temporarily. Then I went on vacation to a malarial area of Africa in November, which meant I was deferred as a donor for a year anyway. One thing led to another, and at age 70, I’ve gotten the first two tattoos of my life in the last couple of months. One is the two-word punchline to a family joke (I like to think I’ll confuse the undertaker), and the other is the name of my first grandchild (she was born in January), worked into a heart shape. They’re inconspicuous; I can cover them with my sleeves, though I don’t know why I’d need to. The process was quick and largely painless – the needle p...
by ilskeptic
Fri Oct 13, 2017 8:47 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Need help with family financial situation - sheltering money / medicaid
Replies: 22
Views: 3312

Re: Need help with family financial situation - sheltering money / medicaid

I thought someone more qualified might chime in by now, but since no one has ... I’m not a lawyer myself, so take all this for what it’s (ahem) worth. But I have been in the situation you’re in, and I’ve done the kind of scrambling you’re doing in hopes of not leaving the unaffected spouse in poverty. I also realize you may have left some stuff out of your post. But my first reaction is that you’ve been talking to the wrong lawyers. For starters, I believe your dad’s potential VA assistance is called “Aid and Attendance.” But there are asset and income limitations. I would have expected a good eldercare lawyer to have that information at his/her fingertips. Mom shouldn’t have to do the research. Second, it may be true that nursing homes in ...
by ilskeptic
Fri May 12, 2017 7:52 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Trip to South Africa in November - Advice
Replies: 24
Views: 2928

Re: Trip to South Africa in November - Advice

My trip was almost eight years ago. Things change, so take this for what it’s worth. But as everybody else has told you, you’re trying to fit too much into one week. If you can’t stretch the trip, you probably should limit yourself to either Cape Town or Durban. I didn’t make it to Durban, but Cape Town – the Cape itself, Robben Island, the mountains, the wine country – is spectacular (if not what I’d call a full African experience). Re driving: This is a former British colony. I assume you’re comfortable driving on the left? Motorways and most urban roads are excellent to pretty good, but be ready for anything once you’re off the main drag. There will be lots of people and domestic animals sharing those roads with you. Drive carefully. Cop...
by ilskeptic
Thu Jan 14, 2016 6:08 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best DNA genealogy testing kits
Replies: 133
Views: 28585

Re: Best DNA genealogy testing kits

My wife and I had our DNA tested by Ancestry over the holidays. No big surprises in the basic results. I'm still German and she's still British/Irish (though with an unexpected touch of Iberian Peninsula DNA ... a Latin lover in there somewhere, apparently). But I was intrigued to find, digging into the various family connections Ancestry also offers, that my sister is -- "with a high degree of confidence" -- actually my fifth cousin.

The process, however, was easy and surprisingly quick.
by ilskeptic
Wed Jan 13, 2016 6:59 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Dementia/Alzheimer's (spouse)
Replies: 36
Views: 6242

Re: Dementia/Alzheimer's (spouse)

Dealing with this with my wife too. I hope the problem turns out to be less serious than you fear, but the advice above is all good. Here are a couple more thoughts. -- I gather you do not have a formal diagnosis yet. If that's the case, and depending on your circumstances in general, you may want to apply NOW for long-term care insurance. Should your spouse be diagnosed with dementia, LTCI almost surely will be unavailable. If you get coverage and it turns out your spouse's problems aren't the result of dementia, well, maybe you wasted that premium money -- but that's a good outcome. -- Again depending on your circumstances, and perhaps your philosophy on this sort of thing, you may want to consider various approaches to asset protection. ...
by ilskeptic
Fri Aug 07, 2015 9:50 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Free Windows 10 Upgrade, Yes or No?
Replies: 533
Views: 99074

Re: Free Windows 10 Upgrade, Yes or No?

Upgraded yesterday -- took an hour and a half or so, but process was very smooth. Just getting around to tweaking this morning. Only glitches so far are that AVG Free didn't work (I'm going with the default antivirus in Windows Defender at the moment), and I had to upgrade to Acrobat Reader DC. Not sure yet if I like the appearance of Edge, but it appears to be working smoothly. Four stars out of five to this point.
by ilskeptic
Fri Jul 17, 2015 9:06 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: File-and-suspend application
Replies: 10
Views: 1289

File-and-suspend application

Here’s my recent Social Security experience, for what it’s worth, and a suggestion/request directed at Mike Piper or another of the Social Security experts on this board (and thanks for your help). I turned 66 a few months back and finally got around to doing a file-and-suspend application for benefits. My intention is to wait to age 70 to start collecting. I’m not suspending for the usual spousal reason -- my wife is a retired teacher with a state pension and almost no SS credits; she’ll never receive a dime of Social Security on either her or my record. But I want to have the option, which I learned about here, to retroactively unsuspend (and receive a lump-sum check based on my original filing date) if my circumstances change -- i.e., I ...
by ilskeptic
Tue Jan 27, 2015 7:40 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Poll: Locating deceased person's assets
Replies: 33
Views: 3896

Re: Poll: Locating deceased person's assets

I voted “other,” because I’ve never tried to search for assets. But strange stuff still happens. My father-in-law was an RVer in retirement; for convenience, he listed our home as his address and had his mail delivered here; he would pick it up when he visited. But my wife’s sister and her husband are much better off than we are, so when my father-in-law died, it was natural to let my sister-in-law’s lawyer and accountant handle the asset inventory. Everything went fine, and DW’s inheritance was a great boost to our finances. All DW had to do was sign a few papers. Nearly a year after he died, though, we received a letter addressed to my father-in-law from a local bank, announcing that it had paid a small dividend. It seemed that, many year...
by ilskeptic
Mon Jan 19, 2015 4:52 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Medicare Newbie
Replies: 14
Views: 2439

Re: Medicare Newbie

Replying not because I'm an expert, but to bump this up. ... If you haven't read it already, this is where you start: http://ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10043.pdf. With very few exceptions, Medicare Part A is free, but you must sign up (see link above for how to do that). In addition, you definitely want Part B, which currently costs about $105 monthly for most of us. You're smart to complete your coverage with either a Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan. Most Medicare Advantage plans also cover drugs, with no Part D signup needed. If you choose Medigap instead (or change to it later), you'll also need to select a Part D (drug) plan. There are pros and cons to the Advantage/Medigap decision depending on your personal circumstances; those have been d...
by ilskeptic
Tue Nov 11, 2014 6:47 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New car purchase- "documentation fee" and "registration fee"
Replies: 28
Views: 5097

Re: New car purchase- "documentation fee" and "registration

I didn't realize "out the door price" was a code phrase, but that's the approach I've taken on the last three cars I've bought (all used, all for cash). Made an offer each time under condition that the price covered tax, title, plates and doc fees, extras that probably came to $700-$1,000 per car. These were realistic offers, mind you -- below sticker, but not a lot. Two of the dealers accepted on the spot (which means I should have gone lower in the first place, I guess); the third dickered, and we ended up with him coming down $1,000 and me going up $500. The process saved a lot of grief, and, most importantly, I've been happy with all three cars.
by ilskeptic
Tue Jan 28, 2014 11:17 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Self-employed ... LTCI deductibility?
Replies: 3
Views: 561

Re: Self-employed ... LTCI deductibility?

Um, yeah, that's the part I was working from. Sorry if I was confusing. The key question is, does this sentence, especially the capitalized part, mean anything?

*The insurance plan must be established, or considered to be established as discussed in the following bullets, UNDER YOUR BUSINESS.*

Or is the rule simply: If I have a business (filing Schedule C or C-EZ, probably C-EZ), and I made a profit (I did), and I have a qualified LTCI policy (I do), then I can deduct it? Can it possibly be that simple?

Thanks again.
by ilskeptic
Tue Jan 28, 2014 7:49 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Self-employed ... LTCI deductibility?
Replies: 3
Views: 561

Self-employed ... LTCI deductibility?

I retired early last year, but made a little money freelancing during the rest of 2013. I have a long-term care insurance policy. It looks like the LTCI premium could be deductible on Line 29 of Form 1040 (Self Employed Health Insurance Deduction). The instructions say the policy "must be established under your business," but also say the policy can be in either my name or the business's name (it's in mine, and I don't have a business name anyway).

Can I deduct it? What do I need to do?

Thanks as always.
by ilskeptic
Sat Jan 18, 2014 11:11 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Seems odd that tax documents aren't available sooner
Replies: 39
Views: 3953

Re: Seems odd that tax documents aren't available sooner

My 1099-DIV showed up on Vanguard today. Seems reasonable.
by ilskeptic
Sat Oct 26, 2013 6:26 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Recommendations for a Laptop Computer???
Replies: 41
Views: 5274

Re: Recommendations for a Laptop Computer???

Nicely timed question. Walt Mossberg did his annual column of laptop recommendations this week. http://tinyurl.com/lsog76u
by ilskeptic
Sat Oct 26, 2013 6:22 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Donating a Used TV to Charity
Replies: 44
Views: 12190

Re: Donating a Used TV to Charity

In Illinois, it's illegal to dispose of electronics in landfills, and nobody these days wants to buy tube TVs or CRTs. (Put one in a garage sale; you'll see what I mean.) So Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc., won't take them. Unless you're willing to pay someone to take them off your hands, all you can do is wait for a free electronics collection.

Luckily, there are quite a few of those in my area; but you still have to do the heavy lifting.
by ilskeptic
Sun Sep 15, 2013 7:32 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Traveling to Johannesburg for 3.5 Days -- Worth It?
Replies: 44
Views: 3879

Re: Traveling to Johannesburg for 3.5 Days -- Worth It?

Without trying to underplay the issue of South African crime -- yes, it would be nearly suicidal to blithely drive through one of the poor 'townships' of any big city, and I'm sure Jo'burg's reputation was honestly won -- I think some of the responses here are over the top. I was very apprehensive before my trip, but my son, who had been studying in Cape Town, talked me into it, and it was an experience I'll never forget. Stayed in a black-owned hostel in Soweto (a black suburb of Jo'burg where there famously were major riots pre-apartheid): Totally cool experience. Like Prof Emeritus, we drove extensively through KwaZulu (Rorke's Drift, Isandlwana) and elsewhere and without exception met friendly, welcoming people of all ethnicities. Even ...
by ilskeptic
Fri Sep 13, 2013 6:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Traveling to Johannesburg for 3.5 Days -- Worth It?
Replies: 44
Views: 3879

Re: Traveling to Johannesburg for 3.5 Days -- Worth It?

I spent a little time in Jo'burg and Kruger (and more in Cape Town) a couple of years ago. South Africa is a spectacular country, and the cost is very reasonable once you're there. The drive between Jo'burg and Kruger is listed as 4 hours or so, but your plan still sounds a little jam-packed and stressful to me. Of course, a lot depends on whether you're good at sleeping on planes and your personal endurance patterns. A couple other things to consider: (A) You do NOT want to be driving alone at night through South Africa; take that into consideration. (B) Are you comfortable driving on the left side of the road? (C) You'll almost surely get more out of Kruger if you stay at the same place the entire time you're there, rather than driving fr...
by ilskeptic
Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: [How to max assets for one spouse, other needs assistance?]
Replies: 12
Views: 1687

Re: [How to max assets for one spouse, other needs assistanc

Medicaid -- I'm assuming that's the program that would support him in assisted living -- contains certain minimum asset and income protections for a recipient's spouse. The house is usually (maybe always?) an exempt asset, meaning your mother could keep it. However, she might have to make a tough decision about whether she could afford to keep paying both the mortgage and the life insurance premiums. I'd be surprised if a divorce would help much, but I'm not a Minnesota eldercare attorney, and that is who you need to talk to.

Good luck to you and your family.
by ilskeptic
Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: COBRA question
Replies: 25
Views: 2166

Re: COBRA question

Why didn't I start Medicare sooner? Can't. I turn 65 in August. (Other unavoidable circumstances are leading me to retire on that timetable.)
by ilskeptic
Wed Jun 12, 2013 6:24 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: COBRA question
Replies: 25
Views: 2166

Re: COBRA question

I will have five weeks between the end of my employer coverage and when I start Medicare. I've asked for a COBRA application, but my understanding is that I won't even get the forms until a couple weeks after I'm officially retired. Assuming I get through those five weeks without a heart attack or being hit by a truck, would I have any reason to pay for COBRA coverage?
by ilskeptic
Tue May 07, 2013 3:56 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: When should I start taking Social Security?
Replies: 22
Views: 2491

Re: When should I start taking Social Security?

Again, sorry for incomplete info earlier, was trying to keep the original post at a manageable length. Our eldercare attorney has done his thing. We've got wills, POAs, even an irrevocable trust that should guarantee the kids a little bit of money (didn't count that in the 'mid-six figures' mentioned in the original post, and it is a relatively small amount).

Those were all done while I was still working; just now coming to the when-to-take-SS and Roth conversion issues. I actually think this board might have better answers than a lawyer on those questions.
by ilskeptic
Tue May 07, 2013 3:19 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: When should I start taking Social Security?
Replies: 22
Views: 2491

Re: When should I start taking Social Security?

Sorry, should have been clearer. No, she's never going to get a dime from Social Security, either through her own work history or mine. On the other hand, if she predeceases me, I'll receive a survivor's annuity, 50 percent of her amount.
by ilskeptic
Tue May 07, 2013 9:16 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: When should I start taking Social Security?
Replies: 22
Views: 2491

When should I start taking Social Security?

Here’s the setup. Me: 65 in August, retired last month. No pension, have not started SS yet. Would get $2100/mo now, $2300 at FRA, 3K at 70. Traditional IRA in mid-six figures at Vanguard. Generally good health (knock on wood). Wife: 66, Retired teacher on state pension. She has virtually no SS credits, and her pension is too big for her ever to receive any spousal benefits through me. Her check covers virtually all of our regular monthly expenses (bigger, periodic bills like property taxes can come out of IRA or my SS, depending on when I start it). We have no debt. The kicker: My wife has been diagnosed with a cognitive condition – yes, that one – that virtually guarantees she will have to enter a nursing home if she lives long enough and...
by ilskeptic
Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: delay, yet avoid Medicare Part B penalty?
Replies: 6
Views: 1206

Re: delay, yet avoid Medicare Part B penalty?

Aaaah, OK. But just to check: Federal Blue Cross doesn't require you to sign up for Part B as soon as you're eligible? That's the case with a lot of government retiree health policies (at least it is with the ones I'm familiar with in Illinois).
by ilskeptic
Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Downloading movies to Ipad and Ipad mini
Replies: 15
Views: 4095

Re: Downloading movies to Ipad and Ipad mini

Does DVD Catalyst go directly from the protected DVD to a usable MP4, or is there an intervening step?
Yes, it's a one-step process, basically. For instance, if I want to (tho I generally don't), I can watch a movie on my laptop as soon as DVD Catalyst is done.
by ilskeptic
Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [Visiting] Oahu
Replies: 32
Views: 5129

Re: [Visiting] Oahu

Snack time: Uncle Woody's BBQ Corn, next to Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, on Kamehameha Highway, up towards the North Shore. I like Island Style, but Baja Style is really good too.
by ilskeptic
Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:23 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Downloading movies to Ipad and Ipad mini
Replies: 15
Views: 4095

Re: Downloading movies to Ipad and Ipad mini

Nothing wrong with the advice above, but here's one more option.

I use DVD Catalyst 4 to burn movies from DVDs to my laptop, then transfer them via cable to my NookHD. DVD Catalyst 4 formats them to fit the Nook. Final result is dandy. I can't speak to iPad/iPhone, but the program says it has formats for various iPad and iPhone models, among many others.

DVD Catalyst 4 is a $10 program, but if you want to take movies you already own on the plane, you'll get below your $3 average in a hurry. Takes an hour or so to do the original burn on my (several years old) laptop, then 10 minutes or so for the transfer. YMMV.
by ilskeptic
Wed Apr 17, 2013 6:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: delay, yet avoid Medicare Part B penalty?
Replies: 6
Views: 1206

Re: delay, yet avoid Medicare Part B penalty?

My question is, "Why?" To save $104.90 a month for three or four months? Or even 11 months? What if you get sick/injured enough to need Part B services during that period? Just seems like tempting fate for not much reason. Am I missing something obvious?
by ilskeptic
Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:14 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best tax-prep software for trust income
Replies: 8
Views: 2448

Re: Best tax-prep software for trust income

Cool. That was easy. Thanks to both of you.
by ilskeptic
Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:06 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best tax-prep software for trust income
Replies: 8
Views: 2448

Re: Best tax-prep software for trust income

OK, just read up on grantor trusts in the instructions to Form 1041. Yes, this income will be reported on our personal return.
by ilskeptic
Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:55 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best tax-prep software for trust income
Replies: 8
Views: 2448

Re: Best tax-prep software for trust income

Personal return, I think.
by ilskeptic
Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:44 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best tax-prep software for trust income
Replies: 8
Views: 2448

Best tax-prep software for trust income

I will need to pay income taxes for the first time this year on income earned by a family trust for which I am trustee. I've done my own taxes for years, so I'm not anticipating problems, but I wonder if anybody on the board has a recommendation for a specific program (TurboTax, TaxAct, whatever) and a specific version (Deluxe, Premium, whatever) that might make this new experience a little easier. Thanks in advance.
by ilskeptic
Tue Dec 25, 2012 8:22 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Worst rewards card ever?
Replies: 11
Views: 2859

Worst rewards card ever?

Commerce Bank now has asked me twice to sign up for my "new Pre-Approved Commerce Bank Rewards Visa credit card." The rewards? One point per dollar in purchases and "3x points for every dollar in interest accrued on your monthly balances."

Wow, talk about perverse incentives.
by ilskeptic
Tue Dec 11, 2012 9:57 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: List of places that give Senior Discounts
Replies: 25
Views: 5510

Re: List of places that give Senior Discounts

National Park Service Senior Pass -- $10 one-time payment gives free admission to all national parks and historic sites for you and up to 3 others in your car, starting (I believe) at age 62. .... oops, missed the earlier mention. But it's worth repeating.
by ilskeptic
Sat Oct 27, 2012 4:33 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Medicare Medigap policy cost
Replies: 68
Views: 38060

Re: Medicare Medigap policy cost

Yam: I'm about 8 months away from making this decision and just starting to research plans. For an apparently healthy person, why not add high-deductible Plan F to your list? In my area, the premium difference is $1,116 a year for a plan that pays Plan F benefits after a $2,070 deductible. (I could afford the deductible if my health turns bad.) Seems like a reasonable bet. Or am I missing something (which is entirely possible)?

Thanks in advance.
by ilskeptic
Fri Oct 05, 2012 10:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: robbed by strong arm and pickpockets in Rome and Venice
Replies: 63
Views: 12512

Re: robbed by strong arm and pickpockets in Rome and Venice

Got scammed out of $40 for two $5 jackets by a distinguished looking, fast-talking guy in Rome five years ago. I blame my son, he blames me. On the same trip, I was walking a few feet behind my son in St. Petersburg, Russia, when a well-dressed young guy very casually reached out and unzipped my son's (empty, luckily) backpack. That guy never even interrupted his conversation with his friends. All part of the adventure of travel, until you actually lose something valuable.
by ilskeptic
Wed Sep 26, 2012 12:56 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Anyone use HDTV free air over cable?
Replies: 73
Views: 11495

Re: Anyone use HDTV free air over cable?

Our house is in the woods and 20+ miles from the nearest TV station transmitter. I bought a cheap antenna from Best Buy, mounted it on the side of the house and pointed it to the nearest PBS station ("Downton Abbey" and "Sherlock"). Only problem is this time of year, when I want to watch Bears games too. Drives the kids nuts that I climb a ladder every Sunday morning to rotate the antenna.
by ilskeptic
Thu May 17, 2012 12:20 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Medicare Health Supplement question
Replies: 32
Views: 3248

Re: Medicare Health Supplement question

So as far as guaranteed issue across the board goes, you have one six-month shot at it and that's it.
That's true, but slightly oversimplified. There are some circumstances under which you still may have guaranteed issue rights to Medigap coverage, such as if your Medicare Advantage plan goes out of business or if you move out of its coverage area. There's more information on pages 22-23 of this guide: http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/02110.pdf.

Sorry I don't know how to do a cooler link.
by ilskeptic
Mon Jan 16, 2012 10:08 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How to send financial data to an adult child in case of a ca
Replies: 27
Views: 2908

Re: How to send financial data to an adult child in case of

Putting the info in a safe-deposit box certainly works, but that requires a trip to the bank every time a password changes or you add a password-protected account, which probably is more often than people think about. (I'm up to 33 logons right now -- not only really important stuff like bank and investment accounts, credit cards, etc, but also insurance policies, phone and utility bills, fringe benefit management accounts, satellite TV, you name it.) My older son has backup power of attorney over our finances, should we ever go totally around the bend. If/when he takes over, he's going to need to know how to pay bills, contact our financial correspondents, etc., so I've thought over this issue. What I've done is create an encrypted file (I...
by ilskeptic
Wed Nov 16, 2011 11:02 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Alzheimer
Replies: 21
Views: 2488

Re: Alzheimer

Brody: A diagnosis of early stage Alzheimers is all too common these days. I suspect that's what Brock means. She is functioning pretty well now, perhaps with his help, but in the future ... At any rate, that's the situation my wife and I are in at the moment, tho we're younger than Brock, and it sounds like I'm in better health. So, to Brock: Especially since you're concerned about leaving something to your children, the previous posters are absolutely correct. Find a good eldercare lawyer, and sooner is better than later, especially in view of your health. Local Alzheimers associations and support groups can give you some guidance, and a lot of them also sponsor presentations that can bring you up to speed on the basics. Brody's kind of b...
by ilskeptic
Sat Jul 02, 2011 10:16 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Talk me off my ledge, if you can
Replies: 77
Views: 8176

Wow, didn’t expect this many replies. Thanks to all. A couple followups. 1) When I mentioned ‘markets,’ I meant more than the stock market. Sorry if some found that unclear. My AA is an equity funds/bond funds/TIPs portfolio pretty much correlated with my age. For most purposes in most times, it’s plenty conservative already. 2) I bought after 9/11. I slept peacefully through the last couple government shutdown threats. I cringed in 2008-09, but who didn’t? But I think the likely consequences of a default are a different order of magnitude than the aftermaths of those crises. None of the responses to this thread, frankly, have convinced me otherwise. A couple of you even seem to be looking forward, ever so slightly, to a default. I believe ...
by ilskeptic
Sat Jul 02, 2011 12:21 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Talk me off my ledge, if you can
Replies: 77
Views: 8176

Talk me off my ledge, if you can

Without going into the politics of the issue, I hope, I've gotten increasingly pessimistic about the likelihood Congress will increase the U.S. debt limit prior to the early August drop-dead point, and I do believe failure to do so will have very serious, if not catastrophic, consequences for the markets. Given that, why shouldn't I cash out when the markets reopen Tuesday, then sit on those funds for a month or six weeks, until the situation more or less sorts itself out? (I'm dealing totally with tax-advantaged accounts, Roth and TIRAs for my wife and myself, and I'm 62, uncomfortably late to rebuild if the worst, or anything like it, takes place.) I know there are people with better financial brains, and probably stronger nerves, than me...
by ilskeptic
Mon May 02, 2011 11:59 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: re: advised by my computer security maven to leave Vanguard.
Replies: 166
Views: 21251

Vanguard & voice recognition

I don't know about Vanguard's web password security, but Clark Howard reported tonight (well, the late-night rebroadcast I heard, not sure when the show first aired) that Vanguard is testing high-tech voice recognition security for telephone transactions. Are there really a lot of those any more?
by ilskeptic
Thu Apr 14, 2011 6:42 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone here own a safe?
Replies: 91
Views: 17726

Just curious, is the safe actually rated to be waterproof after being exposed to heat? For example, does it have any seals which would be damaged by heat allowing water to enter?
Somewhere -- not in my safe -- I probably have the specs for the thing. But, as I recall, one reason I didn't get the cheapest safe is that this one supposedly would protect against water used to put out the fire. As I recall.
I don't have personal experience, but I have read that inexpensive fire safes, in general, protect their contents by having moist insulation.


Sheesh, I have no idea.
On the other hand, I don't need to protect my castle by hiding a gun on each floor of the house.
What he said.
by ilskeptic
Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone here own a safe?
Replies: 91
Views: 17726

Department of redundancy department

I think there are arguments for both a home safe and a bank safe-deposit box, and I have both. I didn't get the cheapest home safe around, but it was close. I use it mainly as fire protection. It's heat-resistant up to X degrees for Y period of time (I forget the exact specs), and it's also -- and this is important -- water-resistant, so the water firefighters presumably dump on your burning abode doesn't itself do damage to the safe's contents. And, as the instructions suggested, I keep it on a shelf in the basement, so it avoids the worst of rising heat. Plus, it's inconspicuous there, if not exactly hidden. What I've got in there: A few documents I like to have handy (Social Security cards, birth certificates), my backup credit card, som...
by ilskeptic
Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How Many Do Your Own Taxes?
Replies: 41
Views: 6495

I've done my own taxes for about as long as PC software has been available. I used to switch back and forth among programs, depending on price, and was pretty satisfied with them all. I've used H&R Block consistently the last few years -- which has come in handy, unfortunately, in keeping track of carryover losses last year and this. Anyway, that experience gave me the confidence last year to start volunteering as a tax preparer at my local senior citizens center. Turned out to have been slightly misplaced confidence, as it turned out. Not because the clients' tax situations are so complicated -- we're limited in the types of returns we're allowed to handle -- but because the Taxwise program the volunteers use is just different enough f...
by ilskeptic
Fri Jan 07, 2011 11:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Long Term Care Plans
Replies: 41
Views: 6294

My answer: yes and no. At age 62, I recently bought an LTC policy that would cover me for four years and (under relatively recent federal law) would also protect an equivalent amount of assets for my wife and kids if I need nursing care for longer than that. The policy certainly isn't cheap, but it should be affordable even after I retire, so I think it's a reasonable hedge against the possibility I might suffer a disastrous, but non-fatal disability. Sure, I suppose the company could jack up prices or even go under, but I've checked them out and I'm reasonably confident I've made a good bet. I think that's all I can ask. OTOH, because of various medical conditions, my wife is basically uninsurable for LTC and therefore self-insured by defa...
by ilskeptic
Mon Nov 15, 2010 9:18 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: First day in London: got a problem
Replies: 58
Views: 10308

I've used ATMs exclusively, and extensively, in both Europe (including Russia) and Africa with almost no problems. The 'almost' is because you have to watch the time change. If, for some reason, you withdraw near your daily limit on Monday (U.S.), you have to make sure it's Tuesday (U.S.) before you make your next withdrawal.

I have also notified my bank and credit card company in advance that I planned to travel. And I've obviously kept very close track of my bank balance.