Bogleheads.org

Living the mountain life is a dream for many, until you can't. I personally know several families that went all in (bought or built a home - major money sunk), moved in only to discover they physically couldn't live at that altitude. Altitude sickness is real (and can be life threatening) and if you have not lived at altitude for awhile/recently it becomes the unknown deal breaker to carefully laid plans. It can affect anyone, no matter their fitness level or age. I echo others, rent for at least a year before buying. It's a good plan for being able to undo things if needed. You know many families that spent the time building and/or buying a mountain house only to move in a suffer from altitude sickness? That is crazy and unimaginable to m...

I am in the planning stages of an upgrade to my main bath. The house is 11 years old, the builder was not the best so I have been doing 'projects' to fix their design or building mistakes. If their plan was to keep me off the streets it has kind of backfired. HD and Lowes both have given me standing job offers and greet me on a first name basis. Even the employees ask me where to find stuff when they see me. 8-) One thought large in my current planning is creating a mobility friendly-accessible house. I bought this home because it has everything I need on the main floor. While planning the bath remodel I plan to also widen all the doors to at least 32" wide, 34" would be better, to accommodate devices such as walkers and wheelchai...

Living the mountain life is a dream for many, until you can't.

I personally know several families that went all in (bought or built a home - major money sunk), moved in only to discover they physically couldn't live at that altitude. Altitude sickness is real (and can be life threatening) and if you have not lived at altitude for awhile/recently it becomes the unknown deal breaker to carefully laid plans. It can affect anyone, no matter their fitness level or age.

I echo others, rent for at least a year before buying. It's a good plan for being able to undo things if needed.

Lol...having owned an Eventing horse and did the entry level Eventing and Dressage shows I can safely say horses are an investment, a negative investment 99% of the time. (Not gotta lie, major fun factor riding and competing but never a positive cash flow) 1. Is there an actual horse? (probably) 2. How old is it? (there is a small window to train up a prospect before it becomes unable to compete at an Olympic level) 3. Is it a gelding? (can't make money via stud fees regardless of its success) 4. Is is sound? (competing is tough and it's common to have them lame or otherwise unable to compete on competition day. So much for wins) 5. Who is paying for the maintenance of this investment? (no matter the caliber of the horse they are always a h...

Also plan for the transaction to take time, it will not happen in just a day or so.

It's been a year since I had to prove to anyone that I was vaccinated. That phase seems to have passed, at least for me. I’m flying to Spain next month and will need to provide proof. That will actually be the first time for me, I don’t get out much I have a small cruise vacation around Iceland planned for this summer and the cruise line requires me to bring the physical card and my passport in order to board. In the past week I talked with them and they are very firm about this requirement. Glad I kept the cards after the shots. I have a photo copy in my phone and a digital copy in my medical records portal as well. I can download either of these and print a physical copy. My 5th shot yielded a second card. I keep both with my passport, j...

It's been a year since I had to prove to anyone that I was vaccinated. That phase seems to have passed, at least for me. I’m flying to Spain next month and will need to provide proof. That will actually be the first time for me, I don’t get out much I have a small cruise vacation around Iceland planned for this summer and the cruise line requires me to bring the physical card and my passport in order to board. In the past week I talked with them and they are very firm about this requirement. Glad I kept the cards after the shots. I have a photo copy in my phone and a digital copy in my medical records portal as well. I can download either of these and print a physical copy. My 5th shot yielded a second card. I keep both with my passport, j...

Just tried to do a simple A-Z sort via the pull down menu on the name column. It throws an error. I think having the capability to find a name in a long list of names is valuable. I tried scrolling through the names and couldn't find mine. Sigh. Thanks. I'll try to look into the pull down sort problem. I don't know very much about Google Sheets. On finding name, you can search like any webpage. For Chrome on Windows, Ctrl+F displays a textbox and you can enter your name and find your guess. Currently in position 328. Thanks for the info. I am very comfortable working with MS Excel and am not familiar with Google Sheets. It looks like an Excel file and I tried using it as such. Apparently the two types of files behave differently. I did loo...

Just tried to do a simple A-Z sort via the pull down menu on the name column. It throws an error.

I think having the capability to find a name in a long list of names is valuable. I tried scrolling through the names and couldn't find mine. Sigh.

2023 --> 4323

I don't have a Fidelity account in play in the manner you do but have been using the CU CO-OP network for a decade to manage and access CU funds. However I do have direct monthly deposits issued to my primary CU account from my Fidelity account. When I moved across country my CU of more than 30 years does not have branch offices where I moved. They had a local member CU who is in network that could and does handle almost all my needs at no cost. I eventually did set up a local CU account to access things like medallion signature access and a few other things that are not part of the COOP agreement between the CUs. It was not necessary to open an account with them if I did not want to. I can use the local CU's ATMs around town for free to wi...

My daughter and I moved from the East Coast to Colorado while she was attending CSU. We started as out of state tuition with merit scholarships and were able to successfully transition to in state tuition with the merit scholarships converting to the equivalent in state scholarships. CSU required a lot of documentation to prove the student was truly an in state full time resident before granting in state tuition status. Since she was not financially independent this included documentation showing my new residency as well. They have specific forms for applying for a change of status that must be filled out and all the documentation must be included when submitted. You get one shot at this. They require a minimum of 12 months of documentation...

tenkuky I hear ya. Speaking of unidentifiable sounds from the roof, when we first moved in, one spring early morning, I heard what sounded like jackhammers going off outside the house. Ran out to curse the construction worker, no one. Again and again I circled front and back and then realized, it was INSIDE the house. :shock: Finally, narrowed to the fireplace chimney but couldn't figure it out. Took me two days to realize it was a freaking northern flicker hammering on the metal chimney cap like clockwork 730 AM. I have given up on him (after having dog bark up the chimney, playing owl sounds, putting streamers up), he will return this month and hang around for a few weeks. Sigh, the last 4 years. Noisy and destructive little buggers! I h...

GOOD NEWS: As part of the implementation of the Thrift Savings Plan's new recordkeeping system, they're proposing the elimination of the notarization requirement for participants, retirees, and their spouses. Plus, it's proposed that TSP participants and retirees be able to complete all aspects of the withdrawal process online or via the ThriftLine; no more printing, mailing, or faxing forms. Yes, you read that right. This is from today's Federal Register: "Currently, any withdrawal request requiring a signature must be mailed or faxed to the TSP. With the new recordkeeping system, which supports electronic signatures, all TSP participants (including married FERS participants who must obtain spousal consent) will be able to complete w...

I've also watched these two threads bounce around for years, but my Six Sigma training tells me they are both outliers at either end of the bell curve, so I have ignored both of them.

My observation is that buying blinds at a box store is a lot more expensive than ordering online. I have used Select Blinds for years (3 houses) and have been very satisfied with their product. And they are not terribly difficult to install yourself either. I too second Select Blinds. Some of my shades have been up for 10 years in this house. Since I live in a cold environment, I chose the 2 layer honeycomb type to provide insulation when drawn. This morning it was -3F when I woke up. They usually have sales and that is when they are hard to beat. Cleaning is easy, I run a duster Swiffer over them when I remember. Check out their web site. https://www.selectblinds.com/ to see their many products. However before you order, definitely pick o...

I have done BBQ ribs for groups half the size you are planning on. Do not underestimate the time commitment needed for cooking. My suggestion is to slow cook pork butts or tenderloin prior to the party day, then pull them apart for pulled pork. This is can be heated up on the big day without loss of flavor. A little slaw on the side and you are set. Per your plan, cook your ribs (I prefer baby back myself but it's true St. Louis is more forgiving to cook) but only half as much as originally planned. So you have half rib and half pulled pork offerings to serve. Your cooking skills will still show through but it will make it much more manageable timewise. Plus there might be some guests that don't want to wade through the mess of ribs but wil...

I'm in for 5241.1

I just switched from SS spousal survivor benefits to my own benefits as I turn 70 next month as well. Found (Googled) local Social Security office phone number, called and they gave me a phone appointment for several days later. They called me on the day at the appointed time, went through the earnings information on file, calculated what the $$ were compared to what I was already receiving. No extra documentation was needed since they had everything already. Agreed switching over to my benefits was the smart choice. The nice SS Rep gave me a timeline and new payment amount while on the phone and told me what to expect in the way of documentation from SS in the mail confirming the switch. It all happened as he outlined. We were done with ou...

I've had the Federal BCBS Basic option in conjunction with Medicare for several years now. However I have the Medicare payment taken from my monthly SS payments. You can file for reimbursement at any time of the year. I find it convenient to file in January or February when SS sends notice for the year's coming payment and Medicare premiums. I scan the letter in and attach it to the BCBS reimbursement request as proof, even though the $800 has not actually been fully met yet. Like clockwork every month I get a $66.66 deposit to my banking account from them. By the end of the year I have my $800 reimbursement and only filed for it once. As previously noted, they process claims quickly and there as been no 1099 issued any year I have particip...

Thank you for this thread!

I finally began my much delayed SS benefits under my name in November 2021. SS Rep informed me what my payment would be for November and December 2021, then a larger payment starting January 2022. He made it clear this was not COLA, but in addition to the 2022 COLA. I asked why but the response made no sense to me. Further mudding the water was my birthday falls in early January when I actually turn 70.

I had not heard of, or if I had, did not understand what DRCs were and their impact. So OP, you were not alone. Thank you to all the BHs who took time to provide their responses. There are many lurkers on this forum that are helped too just by sharing your knowledge.

Just did a switch from survivor's benefits to my own. I called my local SS ofc number, told them what I wanted to do and had an appointment made during the initial call for two days later. They initiated the call at the appointed time, we went through the questions and benefit verification while on the call and everything was completed within a half an hour. Super easy.

Note - if you want benefits to start in January your call must be made within a 4 month window of the proposed start date. Their computer system will not let them start the process any earlier.

At least I have landed in the left hand column for a change. Only 6 more months to flub that up.

LadyGeek - I literally just finished a phone call with Social Security this morning to move from survivor benefits to my own social security benefits. I too was the high income earner and have reached 70, so it was time. (Yeh, I don't feel like 70 either) 8-) I simplify stated I wanted to change my SS claim from my survivor benefit to my own SS account. No fuss, no push back, no problem. The agent knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wonder if with all of the deaths due to COVID if SS has gotten more aware of how to execute this action. If you were working at the initial time you applied for survivor benefits, it likely muddied the water with the SS rep. and the answer given was incorrect to your question. I was working at the time of my hus...

Nver2Late wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 11:17 am Info_Hound - That's interesting. We haven't received letters notifying us of changes to our 2020 returns, just received more that asked. Maybe its too soon? The amounts calculate spot on to 3% so I'm confident its interest, but notification would be prudent.

Since this is new territory for me I have no idea how this works. When they finally processed my 2020 return, the refund was deposited with my bank. It was about 5 weeks later that I received written notification from the IRS as to why my tax refund had been adjusted.

Waiting until 70: 1) Longevity insurance 2) I am taking the time before starting SS to do Roth conversions in the 22% tax bracket. After age 72 my combined fixed income+SS+RMD will put me in the 25% to 28% tax bracket plus a higher IRMAA tier. If you have a lot of tax deferred savings, a Roth conversion strategy should be examined. Ditto. I retired at 61 and took SS survivors benefits on my deceased husband's account. Between his SS, multiple pensions and an annuity that are all COLA'd I did not take my SS at 66 but let it grow (longevity insurance). When I switch over to my SS account in the next couple of months (will have reached 70) I will be solidly in the 28% (or higher) tax window with higher IRMAA, indefinitely. I got busy doing RO...

I think the problem is that for direct deposit, there is no letter from the IRS explaining why the refund is higher. I did indeed receive a letter from the IRS as originally stated. That is why I know it was interest the IRS was paying to me that changed my return. It's a trap! The IRS is going to check that you noted the interest next year when you file your 2021 tax return. My question is will they issue a 1099 for the interest paid? Any interest earned on my banking accounts under $10 is not required to be declared. Taxpayers must declare all interest. The $10 rule applies to the one paying the interest -- such as a bank -- not the one receiving the interest. Per the IRS instructions for 1099-Int, the bank, credit union, brokerage, etc....

livesoft wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 9:16 pm It's a trap!

The IRS is going to check that you noted the interest next year when you file your 2021 tax return.

My question is will they issue a 1099 for the interest paid? Any interest earned on my banking accounts under $10 is not required to be declared.

(I too received a $3.04 interest payment and the IRS letter noted I had to declare it as interest earned on my 2021 tax return)

https://support.ring.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032524592-Opting-In-and-Out-of-Sidewalk I think you have to have one (or more) of the 3 devices listed in order to be included in the Sidewalk option via Ring. Otherwise, Ring does not offer Sidewalk. I personally have none of them so I did not find an opt out option. Personally I have no need for listening devices and own none. I own my own router so I do control access via the internet. I do my best to keep access to my information or potential access to my system at a bare minimum. The old saying the only secure computer is one that is not connected to the internet probably needs to be updated to reflect the 'leakage' created by today's IoT devices. I agree with an earlier poster that it's l...

Finally!

efiled on 2/19/2021 and accepted within 30 mins.
State refund issued 3 weeks later
Fed refund posted to bank account on 5/6/2021....with an additional $7.69, assuming it is interest paid on stimulus credit claimed.

I have been slowly adding to my RING alarm system for the past year. I looked at Simplisafe and decided their setup wasn't as 'independent' as I wanted. Added open and close sensors for my garage doors (not the interior door going into the garage, the actual garage doors). A listener for the interconnected CO and smoke alarms. Both will alert on the phone app if triggered. External cameras alert to motion and record what is there. The batteries are recharged via small solar panels, ending the up and down ladders drama to recharge the batteries. My neighbor and I 'share' our alarm system and camera access with each other when one of us is out of town. Not a feature I have seen offered with other systems. For example I can see all of his came...

Prahasaurus wrote: ↑Sat Apr 24, 2021 9:31 am

PHD-2 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 24, 2021 2:03 am I have a dozen Ring cameras, 2 in the house (pointing at entry doors), 2 in the garage and 8 outside and a Ring Alarm. The annual $100 fee amounts to $8.33 a month for 60 days of cloud storage on all the cameras plus Alarm monitoring. Personally, I consider it a great deal.

Isn't Ring sharing everything with law enforcement? Doesn't that worry you?

This is not true. Law enforcement can ask YOU to share in case your cameras might have recorded something, but RING itself does not share your recordings. Some agencies have a way for the owner to sign up to become part of their law enforcement monitoring system, but again only you can grant access or permission to your information/recordings.

I am a believer that security of a residence should start at the exterior rather than watching bad guys in the interior once they break in. My simple system is exterior Ring cameras with attached solar panels for automatic battery recharging, hardened locks and entry doors and all ground floor windows have impact resistance glass (aka hurricane glass) in them. I self monitor but can flip it to Ring monitored with a flip of the app. All exterior windows, entry doors and garage doors are alarmed. I installed the system myself. Ring is very easy to set up and there is a free support service if you need more help. The cameras do send to the cloud anything recorded. You can decide what area to monitor and how sensitive you want the trigger to b...

Still waiting, IRS states they have received it, but have not processed it yet. Filed mid-February. Received my state refund about 3 weeks later. It was a simple standard tax return, efiled. I now suspect my efiled return may have fallen into this, it was efiled around the right time frame and I did claim the credit. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2021/04/23/stimulus-check-update-2021-tax-refund-delay-covid-relief-payments/7344076002/ Some taxpayers have claimed the Recovery Rebate Credit if they were eligible for any remaining stimulus money from the first two rounds of payments when they file their 2020 returns. Any corrections to the Recovery Rebate Credit or verification of the 2019 “look back” election are being manually process...

I am a believer that security of a residence should start at the exterior rather than watching bad guys in the interior once they break in. My simple system is exterior Ring cameras with attached solar panels for automatic battery recharging, hardened locks and entry doors and all ground floor windows have impact resistance glass (aka hurricane glass) in them. I self monitor but can flip it to Ring monitored with a flip of the app. All exterior windows, entry doors and garage doors are alarmed. I installed the system myself. Ring is very easy to set up and there is a free support service if you need more help. The cameras do send to the cloud anything recorded. You can decide what area to monitor and how sensitive you want the trigger to be...

Still waiting, IRS states they have received it, but have not processed it yet. Filed mid-February. Received my state refund about 3 weeks later. It was a simple standard tax return, efiled.

Zone 5 here at 5,000ft altitude. Seems this year I have been bitten by the early gardner bug harder than normal.

My herb garden goes in first, but plants are staged inside due to a week of off and on snow and below freezing temps coming. Our 'safe' planting date is mid-May. Right now cold weather veggies can be planted, if you can time bed turning and planting between the storms.

The soil enrichers are staged next to the tiered beds, waiting to be turned and added. The siberian irises are poking up above the mulch, which is promising because I thinned the tubers last Fall. Have an order in that will ship the 1st week of May for some Tuff Stuff mountain hydrangeas to replace my PJMs which have not fared well in this zone.

celia wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 1:17 am What we did when we weren’t completely sure if we were financially ready to retire is to write out our retirement budget, including once a year expenses and taxes, then actually live on that amount for a year. Every other dollar of income went into savings.

At the end of the year, we were both more confident we could retire.

Ditto. The year before I retired I had my spending budget in a spreadsheet and lived within that budget for an entire year. My head saw I could retire with those numbers but actually living it before pulling the trigger was a big help in overcoming my fear that I had miscalculated.

Electronically filed a simple tax return February 19th, was accepted within 20 mins.

State refund arrived 3 weeks later. Federal return shows it was accepted but has not budged, no projection date for processing. Ditto for the stimulus check. Daughter filed a week later, received stimulus check within days, nothing from feds or state yet.

Did I miss an announcement that there is a pause on sending out refunds? The IRS seems to have a lot on their plates right now.

Haven't done this nearly enough....vacations of a lifetime.

Honeymoon for 2 weeks in Grand Teton National Park and surrounding area. A week's vacation with (then) young daughter to Walt Disney World. We also went to the coast for a space launch and night time beach watch/hike looking for endangered turtles coming ashore to lay eggs (part of a sanctioned environmental group effort) and finally a late in life solo trip for 2 weeks exploring Alaska and hiking in Denali NP.

All gave me memories, did not clutter the house and reminded me...life IS short. As soon as travel restrictions are lifted I plan to book my next great adventure.

I took a photo, stored it in my phone and my computer medical records file.

I also sent the same photo file to my doctor to add to my medical records. I can retrieve a copy of the photo from my medical portal if I need to because my stored copies are no longer available (broken phone and or trashed computer).

Filed both state and federal tax returns on 2/19. Very simple return, basic filing for both. Edeposits indicated for both.

This morning I got a notice of edeposit for the state refund. Nothing from the feds yet. They accepted my filing within minutes and tracker says it is waiting to be processed (but has been accepted). Last year had my fed refund within 10 days, so patience looks to be the only option this year.

Like the OP, I'm small in stature, older and not as strong as I once was. However I am home improvement savvy and have done many of my own repairs in the past. However, I no longer have the strength to lift, lug or drag heavy things. I can no longer do heights/tall ladders and I live in a home with 14+ ceilings. Homeadvisor, I once looked into them and they came at me like a swarm of locusts. I backed off and they plagued me with calls and emails for months afterwards. Ask Neighbors and friends and talk to people who you do hire about other people they would recommend (hardscape company recommended a great electrician that was easy to work with and was licensed). I have been building a rolodex of companies I have done a basic background che...

For some, pride of ownership works. Allow them to 'decorate' their travel masks, crayons come to mind, so they can show off their artistic skills. Hearing how nice and original their mask is is praise the child will understand and enjoy.

As others have suggested, grocery store/shopping runs with newly decorated masks will provide the positive feedback most children crave. All this preps them for handling a longer trip better.

If I was planning to do some number of years of Roth Conversions I would do a one time rollover from the Traditional TSP account to a Traditional IRA account, then do Roth conversions each year that kept me in the 22% tax bracket identified by OP. This is indeed what I did. Moved the bulk of my TSP funds into a TIRA (left some funds in the TSP so my toe was still in the water (G funds)), then over time (years) did ROTH conversions into a new ROTH account with Fidelity that my TIRA was also with. Not only did this allow me to meter my tax rate yearly to my best advantage but I could do all conversions online without having to file withdrawal paperwork year after year with the TSP in order to move the money. Clean, easy control and on my tim...

My home sits next to a Natural Resource Area with a lake within it. Think short grass prairie land as the habitat. Since I moved here almost 9 years ago the prevailing birds have been raptors of all kinds. Eagles, Hawks, Great Horned owls (see my avatar photo) and American Kestrels. Putting out a feeding station for the smaller songbirds turns it into a raptor buffet. Not what I want. In the summer I do hear Meadowlarks and catch sight of them once in awhile. Had American Kestrels take over a Northern Flicker nesting box attached to my deck for 3 years and they successfully hatched and fledged babies the entire time they were here. Miss keeping a winter feeding station. The up side is I have hootanannys on my roof almost every night. Laying...

It is also COLA'd, so each year there is an inflation adjustment (usually upward) to the annual amount.

Does a beneficiary really need account numbers? Isn't it enough to know the existence of accounts and the account providers? Account numbers will help, but a lack of them won't stop you from being the beneficiary. Yes, you need to know the custodian. They probably won't tell you very much, though, unless you are a co-owner on the account or you've already sent in the death certificate. "Hello, Vanguard, I'd like to notify you that <name> has died. What do I need to do to have his/her accounts transferred to me?" <on hold while being transferred, then you repeat the question> "I'm so sorry about your loss. I will try to make this go smoothly for you, but I'll need to start with some basic information: Deceased's name, SSN, Ad...

I clean antique sewing machines where you do not want to pit the metal (chrome parts etc) nor remove the shellac finish exposing the decals and causing 'silvering'. These machines, depending on the year/age and manufacturing location are very sought after and expensive. I and others use sewing machine oil as our first cleaner because it will not harm finishes but does a good job getting under grime and loosing it up so it can be wiped off with a soft cloth or q-tip. For chrome parts a product found in the automotive department called Never Dull does a good job, but use only on chrome. Also found in the automotive department are a series of cleaners and polishes by the brand name of 'Mothers' that are kind to the metal and won't pit it. Fina...

I received an email from Fidelity stating my 1099s will be available electronically on 1/21. They have been good about meeting their dates in the past.