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Thank you for the prompt reply! I think he’d be better off doing both RMD’s next year. The RMD if taken this year would most likely be taxed at 32%. Next year would be 22%. So pretty big difference if he can wait until 2026 for both RMD’s.

My father has finally decided to retire from his profession at age 77 in September of this year. Since this will be his first RMD, does he still have the option to defer it until April of 2026? It could make a big difference in his 2025 taxes. Thank you in advance.

Appreciate all the replies. The main issue is preventing them from making a nest again. I’d prefer not finding a new nest in my grill every couple days.

Our house seems to be a wonderful place for wasps to build nests. We’ve had Spidexx come over dozens of times, with only short term success at best. Now the little fellas want to build nests inside my grill. I don’t mind spraying all sorts of chemicals on my house/deck, but my grill is a different matter entirely. Any tips for what will keep these things away from the grill without poisoning my family? We’ve unsuccessfully tried coffee grounds and mint oil. Thank you!

Upper Midwest is different again - but I assume construction of new housing in Minneapolis-St Paul's area is not particularly difficult?

You are incorrect, unless one wants to move well over an hour away. But building and remodeling in Minnesota, in general, is quite expensive compared to surrounding states. Still better than the coasts.

This 4th of July? You need to start pulling the trigger on plans ASAP. We also live in the TC, and i can tell you from personal experience things book fast. We are doing a road trip to eastern Montana with a stop in ND on the way. Everywhere with mountains looks amazing to this plains family.

Are you saying you mostly fly United? If so, hammering the bonuses for the Chase cards is worth condsidering. If not, and you belong to Costco, their card is a good option. No annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, and good multipliers for travel, gas, and dining.

+1 on the Rodin museum. One of my favorites and not insanely crowded.
For good food I highly recommend looking at the Michelin guide. Specifically the Bib Gourmand distinction. You will east fantastic food at a reasonable price. And this category is quite family friendly compared to the starred restaurants.

Too many churning bloggers have been too successful in selling the churning life. I might have a different opinion if I lived in a bigger travel hub. But it isn’t as remotely easy getting award flights as it was prepandemic. Some of that could be revenge travel demand. Or it could be businesses getting better at maximizing profits while minimizing rewards. Either way I had a nice run

There are decent rewards available, but it’s nothing like it used to be a few years ago. The number of people in the churning game has greatly increased the cost, and diluted the value of rewards.

If you don’t mind doing some driving, Puerto Rico would check most boxes. Granted, it doesn’t have the classic clear water……

Have had 10% of net worth in DLP lending fund for a couple years. No complaints so far. I suggest you check out White Coat Investor articles for more information. You won’t find any support here for such funds.

Thank you!

My kids are currently freshman in high school. I want to put the balance of their 529’s in t bills or something with an equivalent yield. My current plans are at vanguard which doesn’t offer this option. Any 529 plans out there which would meet my needs? We reside in MN. Thank you.

Thank you for the replies. He does have a very good lawyer. I’m hoping Minnesota has some good fee only financial planners.

My brother suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident. The other driver’s insurance is not contesting his injury so he will likely receive a large check. He is worried about “trusting himself” with the money so he wants help setting up a sound financial plan for his family. He has very little financial knowledge and I’m worried he would be a target of shady financial advisors. Where can I look for boglehead financial advisors in my area? Yes, he did ask for my help. Thank you in advance.

Are you a Delta flyer? If not, then based on your opening post I don’t really see the value. You’re better off waiting for a big Venture X bonus and using those points and the yearly travel credit to defray travel expenses.

I live in the Upper Midwest.

These are great resources!

I didn't even know about Mammoth Cave. We can go there sooner than grade 4, and knowing that spring or early fall is the right season is the kind of gold-star information I'm looking for :) Thank you!

Yeah an $80 savings isn't much in the scheme of things, but it's fun to imagine all the 4th graders out there scrambling through the parks.

Us: My son is not a great hiker yet (he gets tired so soon!) but he loves clambering on things and camping and being outside. He's excellent with safety and loves a sense of danger. Great at not leaving a trace, etc. So, good parks for us would be: not too crowded (I know this is seasonal hence my question); places where we can car camp; parks ...

We’ve done 25-30 NP since my kids hit 4th grade. I’d recommend starting with Yellowstone because kids love animals (and of course it’s beautiful). We did it in the summer, which was crowded but not horrible if you start early in the morning. Yosemite in October was quite manageable compared to the insanity I’ve heard about during the summer. Utah was absolutely spectacular in the fall and spring. I’d recommend Zion/Bryce for one trip and Arches/Capitol Reef/Canyonlands another. IMHO even more awe inspiring than Grand canyon. And don’t ignore the beautiful Utah state parks….

Make sure you can speak the language of the customer service line for the rental company you use. We will never use Europcar again because of their awful customer service.

Just curious if anyone has had a similar experience:
I was finally able efile my federal and state returns today using Turbotax (as I have for the last five years). I filed them on my personal iMac at home. This was at approximately 1pm. About 5 minutes ago i got a two factor identification code text from Taxslayer. I’ve never used Taxslayer. Am I being phished somehow and/or is someone trying to use Taxslayer to open an account and file a return in my name? Should an even bother trying to contact Taxslayer? Is there anything I can do to investigate this suspicious activity? Thank you.



If they were trying to open an account at TaxSlayer and file in your name, why would they sign up with your email/phone number for 2FA? Why wouldn't ...

Just curious if anyone has had a similar experience:
I was finally able efile my federal and state returns today using Turbotax (as I have for the last five years). I filed them on my personal iMac at home. This was at approximately 1pm. About 5 minutes ago i got a two factor identification code text from Taxslayer. I’ve never used Taxslayer. Am I being phished somehow and/or is someone trying to use Taxslayer to open an account and file a return in my name? Should an even bother trying to contact Taxslayer? Is there anything I can do to investigate this suspicious activity? Thank you.

CapitalOne Venture X earns 2 points per dollar. Points are transferable to airlines.

LaurenRose wrote: Tue Jul 11, 2023 4:21 pm But how is the quality of the meat, poultry and seafood?

I quite enjoy their grass fed ground beef. Have had great experiences with the steaks, chicken, atlantic salmon, and pork. I suppose it looks prettier at whole foods but the savings is significant. If it tasted bad I wouldn’t shop there.

I’m a longtime Aldi devotee. They are a great way to save money on the same stuff you’d get at a “regular” grocery store. Their produce has been consistently great in my experience. Can I get every single thing I want every time I go there? No. But if I can get 85-90% and save a lot of money, it’s totally worth it. The lines are dependent on the day and time. Going when they open helps.

I disagree with”hit to your credit score.” Over the last 8 years of playing the signup bonus game, my score has increased. Pay everything on time and switch to no fee cards instead of closing your account when possible.

The boggle head answer is put it in places based on your time horizon and investor statement. But It seems you already have the answer. Put it wherever it helps you sleep at night. If you are pessimistic about the economy, go with savings and notes. Just remember you’ll never really “make” money off it this way.

It’s certainly worth the effort to hold for at least a year. If you really don’t travel much, perhaps not beyond a year. Doesn’t hurt to “test drive” it though. With a bit of work (using all or most of the credits etc.) it can be quite lucrative.

CR has always been a very “reasonable” destination compared to Hawaii for a holiday vacation. Just about every other American I meet is from Colorado. It’s safe to drive, drinking water won’t make you sick, and the pacific beaches are gorgeous.

Lots of nonstop flights to Costa Rica
from Denver. Wonderful country. Liberia area will be sunny and mid 80’s every day.

I will second an opinion or two from above, Great Sand Dunes isn’t worth the drive from RMNP. There are literally dozens of more interesting sites closer. We drive from Durango to Colorado Springs and stopped at Great Sand Dunes on the way last year. It was worth it because it was sort of on the way. I’d much rather spend time near Colorado Springs or Breckinridge area.

jebmke wrote: Thu Dec 15, 2022 1:22 pm

DoubleComma wrote: Thu Dec 15, 2022 1:19 pm All states need to generate tax revenue in someway, no income tax states rely on other sources you will be paying into. IMO there is no free rides.

True; although some just scrape by with poor infrastructure, schools etc.

Not necessarily true. Many states pass the burden on to tourists and/or businesses.

Planning to do 2023 February to Costa Rica with 2 kids [6 and 9 yrs]. Planning to go for 1 week. Arriving from NYC. Any suggestions for people who like nature and some beaches (only for kids). (Planning to rent a SUV).


I enjoyed the Manuel Antonio/Quepos area. Manuel Antonio is a national park with lots of fauna and flora. We were a group so we opted for a villa rental over a hotel. Accordingly, the villa concierge took care of everything for us including transportation so we didn't bother to rent a vehicle.

If you can get a nonstop to Liberia, stay on Playa Conchal, Del Coco or Hermosa. If can get a nonstop to San Jose, stay near Manuel Antonio. All are great areas for families and have many opportunities to see wildlife. In my ...

You should really say what your interests are to help guide you.

In general you got to look at foreign carriers not the domestics. The Australia booking was on Etihad via Aeroplan. Some other booking I have done of late:

All are business class one way with cash comparison to half of lowest roundtrip ticket cost.
East Coast to CDG on AF via 70k AF points vs $1676 (half of a round trip ticket) or 2.39 cents.
...


I've been using credit card bonuses for a long while now, usually for flying United and American Airlines. But I have never used my UA or AA points for flying foreign carriers. How does it work?

In your example:
- Do I need to have an Air France account and points (miles), and look for flights on the AF site?
- Is it sufficient to have a Delta (or another SkyTeam) account and look for ...

Do you consider Highlander mid-size? I’m larger as well and find it quite comfortable.

Ordered my Hybrid Highlander mid September, got it the end of March for MSRP. Was told I had to wait more than some because I wanted a certain package. I call it a win because they didn’t try to mess with me on the price. Certainly glad to have the hybrid now too.

Wait- you’ve never been but are thinking of relocating there? You need to at least visit several times in several different seasons first. And BTW- Portuguese and Spanish aren’t very similar. You’d have a far easier time with French and Italian.

I imagine Provence in September would be wonderful.

As someone living in an area that I 100% don’t want to retire in, I can empathize. But I’m at least 7-8 years away, so I’ve settled on the mindset that a lot can change in that timeframe. These areas in Portugal could become insanely crowded and less appealing, or not. That goes for many “hot” areas right now. Not much we can do about it. I suppose you could start making a list of areas similar to the hot markets in Portugal. The one thing I for sure wouldn't do is buy something just because of FOMO.


I dunno…I was looking at Bozeman a decade ago and I think I’ve missed the window. I should have bought a cheap lot or something back then.

There is no way to “save enough” if billionaires start buying stuff.

Bozeman is beautiful. But ...

As someone living in an area that I 100% don’t want to retire in, I can empathize. But I’m at least 7-8 years away, so I’ve settled on the mindset that a lot can change in that timeframe. These areas in Portugal could become insanely crowded and less appealing, or not. That goes for many “hot” areas right now. Not much we can do about it. I suppose you could start making a list of areas similar to the hot markets in Portugal. The one thing I for sure wouldn't do is buy something just because of FOMO.

I have the USB Altitude Reserve card as well as the Amex Platinum card and am looking to set up Priority Pass access for me and my spouse. Now, in case my spouse has to travel alone, how do I best setup my Priority Pass? Platinum has an additional user for $175 with PP access, while USB additional users have no fee but I'm not sure if they have PP access. Anyone have any experience with this? I hoping I can just add her as an additional user in USB and she gets PP access.

Easiest would be getting her a card with PP access. It would be cheaper to get her a USB card of her own, plus you’d get the signup bonus. It’s a great card.


Yeah, we’re trying to see if it can be done without a new application.


Why worry about a new ...

I’ll second using the upside app. If I need gas on a day I’m driving by Costco, there is often a very competitive offer nearby. And of course the Costco card saves 4% at every gas station

arsenal_fan wrote: Wed Jun 08, 2022 2:59 pm I have the USB Altitude Reserve card as well as the Amex Platinum card and am looking to set up Priority Pass access for me and my spouse. Now, in case my spouse has to travel alone, how do I best setup my Priority Pass? Platinum has an additional user for $175 with PP access, while USB additional users have no fee but I'm not sure if they have PP access. Anyone have any experience with this? I hoping I can just add her as an additional user in USB and she gets PP access.

Easiest would be getting her a card with PP access. It would be cheaper to get her a USB card of her own, plus you’d get the signup bonus. It’s a great card.

Option 1 seems like by far the worst option for your health and marriage. Even if you need to “do something”, with the amount of money you have saved, couldn’t you transition to a part time gig somewhere? Then you could still easily make 50k/year with a lot less stress….

If I can get thousands of dollar in value returned to me for spending money I was going to spend no matter what, why wouldn’t I jump at the chance? It takes very little of my time to keep track of the cards. And my FICO just keeps going up. These credit card companies just won’t stop giving me money
Edit to add: And, unlike bank account bonuses, no 1099’s!

I agree with the above comments regarding your target rental days. Especially for a midwest beach town. What is considered peak season in said town? And how much of the peak is for your enjoyment? I looked into owning a vacation home in Costa Rica once and I appreciated the honesty of the selling agent. He said not to count on more than 12 weeks of rental income per year. Especially at first when you don’t have any reviews for prospective renters to look at. As a frequent vacation home renter, I typically put properties without much history below other properties in the pecking order.

As a dual income family with low fixed expense We have 1 month expense in savings, another 4-5 in i bonds and the rest in a brokerage. I have a very good own occupation disability policy which kicks in after 120 days and my wife has a decent disability policy through her employer. We will gradually get more conservative over the next 7 years before retirement.

As far as meat goes, if you have the freezer space, going direct to the farmers can save some coin. Splitting a whole animal with friends can be quite a deal. Meat is delicious murder after all.

I have to say I enjoy Rick Steves for his ideas about saving money and views on interacting with the locals. But he does have a strong bias towards larger cities. The real magic of Europe is in the villages and smaller towns. But I do understand many aren’t comfortable with driving in other countries.