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chald

Thank you for all of the great suggestions, everyone. I will book with my trip to central Europe and just use the common sense to stay out of trouble. If you have not used it try searching for flights with Google flights. Clark Howard gives instructions for how to use it here. Note, you can just ent...

chald

I am also interested in traveling to northern Europe including Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo on another trip. I am getting surprisingly cheap airfares to this part of Europe for this summer. Cheaper fares than to eastern Europe, actually. Haven't checked lodging yet. How is this part of Europe for...

chald

You might consider Dublin and the rest of Ireland. Yep, I won't be able to hit Dublin for this trip, but having Guinness in an Irish bar in Dublin is on my list. :) It is important to note that, with the current migrant issues, "safe" city is a relative term. Crime is often a result of de...

chald

Perspective is an interesting thing. Where I go in southern Germany, pre-teens walk, bike and scooter themselves to elementary school by themselves or with their siblings. I don't make a point of telling people I'm American, lest they start edging away from me fearfully. Ok, maybe that's an exagger...

chald

I just looked up the receipts from our AirBnB locations. They averaged about $100-$120 USD per night. But we also didn't look for the cheapest for sure! We prioritized a large number of 5-Star reviews, proximity to city or train station, and generally nice looking places. A quick search for Munich ...

chald

Just did a road trip starting in Munich, then Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Salzburg, and Vienna. Holy cow was every last bit of it amazing. Even the driving was beautiful and fun. Highly recommend it, as we had some very cheap fun driving through the country. The grass has a magical green color. We used...

chald

Hello, I'd like to take a last-minute solo trip to Europe this summer but I am a bit of a wimp and the news coming out of Europe in recent months has made me nervous. I still want to go but would like to limit my travel to relatively safe destinations. I'd also like to stay in the cities that are af...

chald

These worksheets are for your information. The IRS doesn't see them. If you want you can go in and edit this yourself. You need to be in Forms mode and looking at the IRA Info Wks. If you can't find it look for the IRA Contrib Wks. It has a section on page 2 titled Roth IRA Basis SmartWorksheet. Fr...

chald

I met with one many years ago after going through the online retirement planning exercise via the Fidelity web site. The advisor went through the same information I already went through on their web site asking the same questions the web site program asked me. I felt it was a total waste of time. It...

chald

TurboTax is likely keeping track of your Roth IRA contribution balance. This would be the basis in the account and would not reflect the gains in the account. Is this balance equal to the sum of your contributions? This is necessary if you have non-qualified Roth IRA distributions to properly compl...

chald

Just found from the IRA web site: "You do not report Roth IRA contributions on your return". Turbo Tax confuses me sometimes.

chald

Hello, I have no Traditional IRA, just a regular Roth IRA, and noticed that my cumulative Roth IRA balance on the "IRA Information Worksheet" section of my Turbo Tax return is much smaller than my actual Roth balance. My guess is that I did not report my Roth IRA contributions in some of t...

chald

As for continuing education, I suspect both metro areas have more options than you could possibly ever take advantage of. Here's for Dallas County: https://www.dcccd.edu/Sch/Pages/CE.aspx If you are up in the northern suburbs then it would be Collin County: https://www.collin.edu/ce/ Not focusing o...

chald

VA state income tax top bracket is 5.75%. MD's typical brackets for 3k to 500k income are 4.75% to 5.25. It appears to be lower. However, PG County and Montgomery County (the two adjacent DC) both assess 3.2% county income tax. So you're actually seeing an additive income tax of 7.95% to 8.45%. Ouc...

chald

Hello, OP here. In case anyone is interested, I have decided to focus my search on NoVA/MD . The main draw for me is that the area has a significantly larger software developer community for networking and abundant education options I can take advantage of to advance my career. If things don't work ...

chald

Thank you again for all your help, everyone! In NoVA, I was considering beginning my search from Loudoun county due to itx proximity to the airport without realizing the area being one of the most expensive places to live. I am open to venturing out to other areas including MD. Are there any signifi...

chald

Headhunters don't help with government jobs. Usajobs.gov is where you go. But it is just like any job in a sense: sometimes it is who you know. Government jobs aren't bad but they have ceilings compared to the private sector. There is a strict pay scale, GS-1 to GS-15, with 10 steps within each gra...

chald

I am getting discouraged about moving to NoVA. The cost thing scares me and a big part of this move is for a better financial future. One thing I should find out more about is the availability of well-paying government jobs and how to go about finding one. I've only worked in private sectors and alw...

chald

slheinlein wrote:My experience with Dallas medicare was terrible.

Would you mind elaborating on this? Quality of medical care is very important to me.

chald

Hi, this is OP. Denver has been making those "hot city" lists over and over, so it's a well known secret! :) I did consider Denver and it does sound like exactly my cup of tea based on its size, scenery, weather, vibe, active lifestyle, job market, etc. I can see myself happy and engaged i...

chald

TxAg wrote:If you come to TX, I'll buy you a beer

Thanks! I'll add it to the reasons to pick Dallas.

chald

Hi, this is OP. I really appreciate everyone's taking your valuable time to share your thoughts and provide helpful comments. I find them immensely valuable and gained some new knowledge that will help with my decision making process. I'll try to answer some of the questions below. The main reason I...

chald

Hi, OP here. Thank you all for your comments! I feel like an army of support is behind me! I will write more after work but just wanted to say a quick 'thank you' to all. More to follow later...

chald

Hello, I am a single IT worker in my 40's considering relocating to another city for a better financial future and a happier life. After weighing several personal factors, I have narrowed down my choices to a northern suburb of Dallas (Plano/Carrollton/Grapevine, etc.) or Northern Virginia (probably...

chald

Phineas J. Whoopee wrote: What's the problem with one hard pull?

Right, no big deal in general, but I'll be applying for a mortgage in the next six months and would like to avoid a hard pull. It sounds like I should not open an account with Ally until after I buy a house just to be on the safe side.

chald

Does Ally check your credit if you open a new account? I am hearing conflicting answers. Can you share your experience if you opened a new account recently? I am trying to avoid a hard pull on my credit.

Thanks.

chald

I am tempted to leave the graduation dates off my resume as youth seems to be a big asset in my industry (tech), but I also feel that if a company doesn't want me just because of my age, I probably don't want to work for that company, either.

chald

Wouldn't omitting the years actually draw more attention, though, just like how I immediately noticed and thought, "he doesn't want to show his age"?

chald

I came across a resume of someone I know and it didn't include the graduation years. I was surprised because he is one of the smartest and most qualified people I know but I also understood that he was trying to avoid age discrimination at work. This issue seems especially relevant in tech industry,...

chald

I visited the condo today after finding out that there is no rental cap. It was a small, but nicely renovated condo except that it didn't have a separate entrance. You have to enter the unit through the patio through the living room door. It feels very odd not having an actual door to the unit. Does...

chald

If I buy this condo, my plan is to live there for a couple of years and then rent it out while I move up to a bigger place. Perhaps I should ask instead, "should I buy a condo I am planning to convert to a rental property?".

chald

Does this unit have direct outside access, such as a patio-type area? If so, that could give you some additional flexibility of more usable space. Do you (or could you) speak with other owners/residents of the building that live on the ground floor? What is the elevation of the "ground floor&q...

chald

Thanks, all, for sharing your experiences or offering some advice. I normally prefer a top-floor corner unit for privacy and security reasons, but this ground-floor unit is in a very good area I otherwise can't afford, so I am considering it, but all these negative points give me a pause.

chald

Hi, I am in the market to buy a condo and have come across a well-priced property in a good area. The only problem is that it is on the ground floor, which I normally don't consider due to security reasons, but this property is in a gated community in a pretty nice area. Are there other disadvantage...

chald

So, your original post was a concern that you were "doing too much" that you needed to "draw the line" because you don't want to "compromise your own retirement". Note the quotes. These are all your own words. Yet, you don't seem to be willing to actually take action. ...

chald

Thanks again for posting your advice and thoughts, everyone. Someone pointed out that cultural values may be in play here, and that’s correct. In the culture where I come from, adult children are expected to take care of elderly parents as well as siblings in need to some extent. Also in my culture ...

chald

If you reward bad behavior, people will continue with the bad behavior. I believe one of the Bogleheads wrote a management book that includes rewarding the behavior you want to see. There was a thread recently about it. (I only read the free chapter on Amazon so far), ROBERT B. CIALDIN's Influence ...

chald

The greatest gift you can give these people is independence. If your sister has a disability that keeps her from working, find her a good disability lawyer. SSA disability lawyers get paid from the back pay of the recipient, and that is limited by law to 25% of the total, not to exceed 6000.00. The...

chald

Mudpuppy wrote: I put one rule in place that pretty much stopped them asking for money unless it was dire. My rule is the same as Gleops2 wrote, I never send a check to family directly, but I will pay vendors.

I know a couple of people suggested this. I will try this approach.

chald

Be sure to research what it would take to be able to deduct your parents or your siblings as a dependent on your taxes. If you structure your support the right way then you may be able to do this so you would at least get a tax break. I looked into this years ago when my father had a large medical ...

chald

Without more information regarding why, exactly, each of these 4 people (father, mother, brother, sister) aren't at work right now it is difficult to advise you. How old are each of your parents and do they each have enough work history in this country to qualify for social security? If so, how muc...

chald

As you have experienced and are experiencing - it is often very easy to get into (or be dragged into) what can be very burdensome "obligations". And, as you have expressed - the needs or demands are increasing - with a long (probably very long) future of the same. It seems to me that you ...

chald

There are a lot of social programs to help out such as Food Banks, Welfare, Social Security. Your parents and siblings should check them out. You can find them online and give the information to the family members. My parents are over 65 and receive some support. The sibling are either ineligible d...

chald

Thanks everyone for posting replies and expressing support. I don't discuss these issues with other people, so just letting it out here helps. As some suggested, I think I will send a check just enough to help with groceries (I have moved to another town and can't actually bring food to them physica...

chald

I'll reiterate what I've seen on Suze Orman multiple times. Tell your family that you love them and do not send another check. Hold your ground. Be strong. They sometimes send me on a guilt trip. My brother said I would regret when my parents pass away for not having done more. It's very hard on me...

chald

Why is the situation getting worse - is it something unavoidable, like medical expenses, or are people who could work not working? What about Social Security for your parents? Public assistance for the siblings? It seems odd that everyone but you is a financial wreck. If the siblings are "alon...

chald

dolphinsaremammals wrote:Are both your parents and siblings living in your condo, or do your parents live elsewhere? If they live elsewhere, they could double up in the condo.

Both my parents and siblings live in my condo. They have already doubled up.

chald

Hi, I am single with a steady job, save diligently for my own retirement, and live below my means. Unfortunately, my parents and siblings are in poor financial shape. My parents did not prepare for the retirement and my siblings have no steady jobs. They are currently living rent free in my condo wh...

chald

One of my favorite types of kimchi is "gut-jeo-ri". This is the only type of kimchi I know that is meant to be eaten UNfermented and it's very fresh, crunchy, and doesn't have the pungent smell some people dislike about kimchi. Not all Korean strores sell it, though, so you'll probably hav...

chald

Primarily, onsite, fresh baked items are offered by independent businesses, not chains. I completely agree and am a huge fan of locally owned independent bakery shops. I miss Paris. Cute, local bakery shops featuring scrumptious, mouth-watering pastries baked fresh daily are practically in every co...

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