Bogleheads.org

Stinky wrote: ↑Sat Apr 01, 2023 11:43 am

bluegill wrote: ↑Sat Apr 01, 2023 10:16 am What is a literature source that splains the annuity mumbo jumbo that I hear at these free dinner sales pitches ??? I think a lot of what I hear is used to confuse prospects.

I don’t think that there is a single “literature source” thst explains the “mumbo jumbo” (as you so aptly put it).

If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

Chuckles960 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 9:41 pm ... (Remember when actual doctors did home visits? Me neither.)

I remember. The doctor would come to your house with his old fashioned doctor's bag containing his old fashioned stethoscope and a variety of medications. And it always contained exactly what you needed; some kind of pill, syrup, or a shot of penicillin.

nisiprius wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 8:21 pm ...The fact that someone was able to have the items sent to you as if you purchased them indicates that they probably have some of your personal information such as your name, address, and possibly, your phone number. Once the information is out there on the internet, it could be used for numerous crooked enterprises.

Back in the days before the Internet this information was available to everyone in phone books. Every home and phone booth had one.

My suspicion is the 'reputable companies' will construct the graphs in whatever form makes their products look best.

(1). Covered, This is an office visit.
(2). Covered. You can change doctors at any time.

Do you plan on going to another advisor or DIY?

If you're going to another they can handle it for you. If going DYI with Vanguard, Fidelity, or another they can handle it for you.

And don't feel bad about leaving. It's business. You have no obligation to your current advisor if you're dissatisfied with their service.

I've consolidated my gift giving into only organizations that mentally/spiritedly satisfy me.

TomatoTomahto wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 1:56 pm For local news (eg, weather and traffic) on the rare occasions that I’m interested, I just use an antenna.

I put one of these on DW's TV in the nursing home. Worked great. Brought in many channels I'd never heard of before.
https://www.amazon.com/Mohu-MH-110029-A ... r=8-3&th=1

Is this her only claim this year? Medicare processes claims in the order they're received, not necessarily the order when the services were rendered.

It's been three years. Time to turn it over to a collection agency.

Tom_T wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 4:42 am

jmw wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 1:39 am Only poor people take [Medicare] Advantage.

You may get some pushback on that statement.

I agree with that. Personally I'm on medigap plan G, but there are some very intelligent, and probably richer people than me here with MA.

Tom_T wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 8:00 am ... I feel like I'll end up spending a lot more on Medigap without really needing it...

How much have you spent over your life on home owners and auto insurance without really needing it? Or life insurance?

I might occasionally throw something in a tip jar if I'm feeling good. But I don't tip individuals.

... we are considering buying a "crash pad" there for a variety of reasons and can see ourselves spending about one week about a quarter of our time there. We have never had a second residence. We will still consider our house in the rural area to be our primary residence. If we apply for Obamacare using that address in the big city, we would have many more insurance companies to choose from with better medical options as well. (There are very few doctors on our current plan that are available to us in the big city.) My questions: 1. Will doing this create any issues with the IRS regarding the subsidy we would receive from Obamacare? (Healthcare.gov would have our big city address and the IRS has our rural address.) 2. Are there ...

I trust most who use the Macrium Reflect free edition for backups have already heard it will be discontinued January 1, 2024.

So my question is, what do you intend to do:

• Continue using the unsupported free version?

• Switch to the licensed version?

• Switch to a different product?

Are you sure you bought life insurance? What you're describing "(like a CD)" sounds like a MYGA (Multi Year Guaranteed Annuity). The puzzling part is MYGAs allow you to defer your taxes until you start taking withdrawals. And that's what you expected, but apparently didn't get. Did you read your contract or phone your agent?

My goal is to get her a permanent home that is private and/or shared close to my home if needed down the road. How do I know which homes are good for her? This would be to assist her with daily activities and dementia. Medicare.gov has ratings, but they seem to change often. I suggest paying them surprise visits to see how they do when they're not expecting you. Visit nursing home after my mother is admitted? Both before and after. Surprise visit before to see how they treat the patients when nobody is watching. Regular visits after to ensure she's being cared for properly, and to provide a little cheer in her life by your presence. When my uncle was there. He had dementia. We had to sign in at the front desk to see him everyone. If you ar...

prd1982 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 12:36 pm

cheese_breath wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 12:27 pm

Squirrel208 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 12:08 pm This recent AP article on Medicaid-funded long-term care appears to be on topic:
In nursing homes, impoverished live final days on pennies

Thank you for that article Squirrel. Something everyone who's contemplating putting a loved one om Medicaid should read.

I don't see how this is related to being on long term care Medicaid. Can't the family still give the person money?

What the family can and can't do depends on the individual state's rules

Squirrel208 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 12:08 pm This recent AP article on Medicaid-funded long-term care appears to be on topic:
In nursing homes, impoverished live final days on pennies

Thank you for that article Squirrel. Something everyone who's contemplating putting a loved one om Medicaid should read.

Medicare doesn’t cover 100% though? Medicare part A covers nursing home care for rehab (physical, occupational, speech therapy) and skilled nursing (IV antibiotics, wound care, tube feeding ect). Medicare covers 100% of the first 20 days, and another 80 days with a $200 / day copay (copay covered by Medicaid/coinsurance). After the rehab or skilled nursing is over (either because you don’t need it, or you hit the 100 days) then you transition to custodial care which is NOT covered by Medicare. At that point Medicaid would begin paying as primary. The nursing home is NOT allowed to kicked you out, as long as they accept payment from Medicaid. Therefore you can end up at a fairly decent skilled nursing facility for custodial care under Medic...

Medicare doesn’t cover 100% though? Medicare part A covers nursing home care for rehab (physical, occupational, speech therapy) and skilled nursing (IV antibiotics, wound care, tube feeding ect). Medicare covers 100% of the first 20 days, and another 80 days with a $200 / day copay (copay covered by Medicaid/coinsurance). After the rehab or skilled nursing is over (either because you don’t need it, or you hit the 100 days) then you transition to custodial care which is NOT covered by Medicare. At that point Medicaid would begin paying as primary. The nursing home is NOT allowed to kicked you out, as long as they accept payment from Medicaid. Therefore you can end up at a fairly decent skilled nursing facility for custodial care under Medic...

I won't know if I've over saved until I die. I know I spent mucho dolares on DW's medical care after her stroke. If something like that happens to me, then I might not have over saved.

I change mine every 25K miles whether it needs it or not.

Jags4186 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 8:21 am You’re presumably paying this financial planner. If you’re unwilling to follow his advice I’d consider separating from them since you don’t want to follow the plan.

He's presumably also paying the CPA. Op's two financial professionals disagree on this point. He is right in seeking additional advice rather than blindly accepting the advice of either one.

This year, my financial planner advised us NOT to contribute to a SEP-IRA at all, and to change my husband's 401K contributions to Roth, not pretax. His rationale: "...your marginal tax rate is 24%, and even when you stop working, between portfolio interest and dividends, social security, and RMD's, you project to be at or above that. Remember, the Trump tax cuts are set to sunset in 2026 so rates are as low as they may ever be. As well, we are going to be targeting Roth conversions over the next few years so it doesn't make sense to add to tax-deferred balances ..."  My accountant basically thinks this is the stupidest thing he has ever heard, i.e., "...Why pay taxes when you don't have to -- the government gives you a reti...

Family of the bride paid for it both times. Both were modest, but as long as the brides were satisfied I was too.

prd1982 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 7:32 pm

cheese_breath wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 7:23 pm

prd1982 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 6:45 pm ... I think stopping the SS withholding will require a trip to the SS office for the wife, since SS doesn’t accept power of attorney....

Is the husband mentally incompetent? I don't know of wife has authority to do this without becoming the Representative Payee. But if husband is mentally competent, maybe SSA might send someone to the nursing home to speak to him.

Becoming the Representative Payee is why I think she needs to go to the SS office.

I thought of this after I posted the above. With Medicaid involved the nursing home will want to become the Representative Payee. Talk to them ASAP so they don't apply without your knowledge.

prd1982 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 6:45 pm ... I think stopping the SS withholding will require a trip to the SS office for the wife, since SS doesn’t accept power of attorney....

Is the husband mentally incompetent? I don't know of wife has authority to do this without becoming the Representative Payee. But if husband is mentally competent, maybe SSA might send someone to the nursing home to speak to him.

A potential complication to consider if they file MFJ... how do the split the refund (if there is one)? Percentage of income? Percentage of deductions? Other?

WOMoney wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 4:56 pm

cheese_breath wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 4:42 pm She was divorced. Now she's remarried. We know almost nothing about current spouse's finances. Am I right?

Unless they're keeping their finances separate and planning separate retirements considering their own financial situations only, you can't plan much in the dark about his financial situation.

He is high income is basically what I know. He pays for the house they live in, and all bills associated with it. This is just for planning for her retirement.

Sorry, I should have made that more clear.

Is he going to contribute to her retirement, or are they going to retire separately?

She was divorced. Now she's remarried. We know almost nothing about current spouse's finances. Am I right?

Unless they're keeping their finances separate and planning separate retirements considering their own financial situations only, you can't plan much in the dark about his financial situation.

tibbitts wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 2:41 pm

dratkinson wrote: ↑Tue Jun 07, 2016 5:30 pm

wrongfunds wrote:I think springs costs much less than $300 to replace. So yes, this discussion is really amusing.

I believe it's more of an annoyance issue (vehicle stuck in garage/late for appointment + personal safety if you do the work yourself) than the expense as the last springs I bought were ~$50 for the pair. So finding ways (reducing opening-closing cycle count, longer-life springs) to extend time between replacements is worth the effort.

See spring price in ads: http://www.google.com/search?q=garage+door+spring

Virtually everyone outside of this forum would pay labor for replacing the springs so $300 isn't unreasonable.

Compared to the medical bills you might incur if you try it yourself it's definitely reasonable.

Tell us what state you're in, and maybe someone might be able to give more specific replys.

whyme wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 2:30 pm ... but Turbotax tells me I should make quarterly payments this year ....

Forget what TurboTax says. TurboTax has no idea what you're going to earn this year. It's just assuming your earnings and deductions will be about the same as last year.

If you use TurboTax or other tax program and have the correct inputs, it will figure it out for you.

Mighty Mites are great. I used to have one for my basement to clean up 'whatever' was down there. Spiders didn't stand a chance against it.

I'm not a CPA, but this doesn't seem like it to me. It's the penalty for not upholding their end of the contract.

No regrets whatsoever. DW and I both took it at 62. We needed money to live on, and it was either take SS or draw from investments. The markets were way down in both cases when we turned 62, so we decided not to draw on he investments at that point. The markets recovered nicely afterwards, providing a nice return on what we didn't take out.

dbr wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 3:34 pm

OnTrack2020 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 3:12 pm You can't; you have to call them, which is ridiculous in this day and age.

It is not ridiculous for them because that way they keep you in selections or sell you new selections that make them money while heading off moving your money to a low cost index fund.

+1 It's not in EJ's best interest to allow their clients to become smart enough to make their own trades.

I bought my MS Office download directly from Microsoft. It costs more, but I know I'm getting a genuine licensed copy.

If you don't feel comfortable DIY hire the pros, and watch how they do it so you can DIY next time.

Every doctor I've ever gone to wanted to run their own tests, and I've never had a problem with Medicare denying anything.

Keeping it quiet can lead to semi-amusing exchanges with others. 1. I have a cousin who is highly skeptical that I am earning more than a moderate income. I didn’t try to disabuse him of that. 2. I have another cousin who thinks my parents support me. No one is correcting him either. 3. I have neighbors who doubt my profession. It’s a matter of public record however so they are free to think what they will. 4. I have family friends who think I earn around what a postal clerk earns. C’est la vie. 5. I had a friend who thought my mother supported me and once offered my mom the opportunity to do some sewing for extra money. 😭 Mom declined graciously. 6. My father was given $100 tip once and free gasoline on another occasion when someone paid ...

I share my financials on need to know basis, and right now nobody needs to know anything. I have a document that will tell my POA, executor nominee, and successor trustee everything if I die or become incapacitated. She knows where it is.

She's 86. Death value and cash value are the same.

Should she take it our, or leave it alone to inherit by her heirs?

I don't know, but something to think about.

Yes, you can convert part of it.

Jesus Revolution at the movie theater.

[quote=FriedOkra post_id=7138113 time=1677381499 user_id=191897
... Do I have any recourse against Merrill, or is this just another expensive object lesson in why you shouldn't trust an AUM advisor to handle your investments?
[/quote]
I think it's an expensive lesson that you shouldn't authorize or trust anybody to make trades on your account without your specific approval of each trade.

Give them to your favorite charity. They'd be glad to accept them.

2ball wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 9:40 pm ... I don't need her pension at all...

I stopped reading right here. Take her max benefit, and enjoy yourselves.